O'Neill family search for justice
By Fern Lane and Roisín McGreevy
Two years after the extra-judicial killing of Diarmuid O'Neill by
the Metropolitan police his family are little closer to the
independent public inquiry into his death which they are
demanding. Indeed, an inquest has still not been held and the
Police Complaints Authority report, which was finally promised
for August after lengthy delays, has yet to be published.
The family has, however, been encouraged in recent weeks by the
affiliation to their campaign of the Stephen Lawrence Family
Campaign. Members of the SLFC offered solid and public support to
Diarmuid's family in their efforts to secure justice for him at a
seminar on state terrorism in August, and during a recent meeting
at the campaign HQ with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir
Paul Condon, dozens of posters demanding an inquiry into
Diarmuid's killing were put up around the meeting room.
Siobhan and Shane O'Neill, Diarmuid's sister and brother,
together with around 40 friends and Justice for Diarmuid O'Neill
Campaign activists, held a candlelit vigil on the steps of St
Martin in the Fields Church in central London on 23 September to
mark the second anniversary of his killing and to further
highlight their demand for an inquiry.
Speaking later, Siobhan O'Neill spoke of the family's
determination to see their campaign through.
``It has been two years now since Diarmuid's death, but we are not
going to give up on this until we get the result we want. The PCA
have finished interviewing all the police officers involved in
the raid so it's time we had some answers. It has been very hard
on all of us but now that the Stephen Lawrence family Campaign
has affiliated to our campaign it is brilliant - it has given us
a real boost. We want to thank all our supporters for the work
they have done over the past two years; we have felt really
encouraged that because of this support, in the end justice will
be done.''
Meanwhile in a statement Paul Philippou from the Justice for
Diarmuid O'Neill Campaign, has accused the Metropolitan Police of
being corrupt and liars. He states that the police ``have
repeatedly lied to the family of Diarmuid O'Neill and to members
of the press''. The matter has been raised recently in parliament
by MP John McDonnell.
Also human rights lawyer Gareth Pierce, at a conference in
August, spoke of how a tape recording of the raid on the house,
where Diarmuid was killed, proves the killing was deliberate and
illegal.
According to Ms Pierce a police officer is heard saying ``Shoot
the fucker'', to his colleague who riddled Diarmuid's naked body
with bullets.
The campaign is supported by Michael Mansfield QC, around 15
Labour MPs and MEPs including Ken Livingstone and John McDonnell,
Amnesty International, Britain and Ireland Human Rights Centre,
Movement for Justice as well as various trades union
organisations and third world solidarity groups.
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