Republican News · Thursday 14 March 2002

RUC/PSNI assault young GAA player

Sinn Féin Assembly member for South Down Mick Murphy has accused the RUC/PSNI of carrying out an unprovoked attack on a 15-year-old youth near Dundrum, County Down, on Tuesday 12 March.

"For no apparent reason an RUC/PSNI Land Rover pulled up alongside this young lad and a few of his friends as they were walking home after football training. The boy, who captains the Under-16 Down football team, said that the RUC/PSNI officer grabbed him under the arms and squeezed him tightly and called him a 'fenian bastard'. He also swore at the youth throughout the incident.

"The lad was roughed up quite badly and his GAA jacket was torn in the incident," said Murphy. "These young lads were harassed purely because they were nationalists returning home from Gaelic Football training. There can be no other explanation."