RUC using tragedy for own ends
by Pádraig MacDabhaid
Sinn Féin's Barry McElduff has responded to concerns voiced by people
living in the Castlederg and Aghyaran areas that the RUC is using the
murder of a 91-year-old woman ``to gain acceptance with nationalists
on the one hand and to gather intelligence on the other''.
Mary Anne McLaughlin, from Castlederg, died weeks after suffering a
brutal sexual assault in the bedroom of her home on the
Donegal/Tyrone border. The RUC subsequently announced that it would
begin a voluntary DNA screening program of people in the Castlederg
and Aghyaran areas.
However, the fact that it is the RUC that is collecting and examining
the samples has raised genuine reservations among the nationalist
people of the area, reflecting the general unacceptability of the
force among nationalists.
McElduff said that while he appreciated the sensitivity of the
situation, ``the RUC have succeeded in creating a climate of suspicion
and are using the investigation as an opportunity to gather forensic
evidence on local people''.
He explained that he has been approached by many people who feel that
the RUC are using the murder inquiry as a form of harassment, using
pressure tactics to secure DNA samples.
``Most people, while feeling compelled under the circumstances to
cooperate with the RUC, believe that the force is not a suitable
agency to be gathering such information. Many who are refusing to
work with the RUC have expressed their opinion that some sort of
independent group would be better suited to collecting such
information.'' McElduff explained that ``many people have expressed a
willingness to provide DNA samples to the Western Health and Social
Services Board or local surgeries but not to the RUC''.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)