Baby lucky to escape injury in loyalist attack
The mother of a four-month-old baby girl says her child had a narrow
escape when their home was attacked by loyalists at Broadway, West
Belfast at 4.45am on Sunday 5 December.
Speaking to An Phoblacht, the child's mother, Denise, explained what
happened.
``I was in bed when I heard voices outside. I looked out the window and
saw about four or five men standing at the other side of the road. One
of them pointed at our house and then pointed down the road towards
their getaway route into the loyalist Village area.
``I said to my boyfriend that they were going to attack the house. As
he looked out one of the loyalists shouted `What are you looking at?'
and threw a bottle at the window, smashing the glass. The glass landed
where our baby would normally sleep. The other three men then began
throwing things at the other windows.''
A local man, who did not want to be named, caught the attention the
group and was viciously assaulted. The man spoke to An Phoblacht
saying, ``I came across the group and saw that one man was giving the
others instructions. They then turned and attacked me''. He was left
with severe bruising and a dislocated shoulder.
According to Denise, the RUC then arrived but the loyalists just stood
at the bottom of Broadway shouting sectarian abuse.
It is believed that two men were arrested in connection with the
attack on the house, which is overlooked by a British army spypost on
top of a block of nearby flats.
``People have been arrested before after similar attacks but that was
the last we ever heard of it. We were never told if they were released
or charged''.
Denise's mother, who also lives in the house, said: ``This has happened
34 times since we moved in here. People in this area don't sleep at
night, they are always on edge in case something happens.
``It has already happened to us at Easter and last Boxing Day when the
attackers broke the windows and shouted `Red Hand Commando'. Our
windows have also been shot at with ball bearings''.
The family's also criticised the Housing Executive, which, they say,
has refused to replace the windows.
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