Republican News · Thursday 10 October 2002

RUC/PSNI won't investigate abduction bid

The widow of LVF murder victim John McColgan has hit out at the RUC/PSNI saying they refused to charge loyalists who attempted to abduct her 16-year-old son Sean.

Lorraine McColgan said the attempted abduction happened late on Saturday 3 August as her son made his way home to West Belfast from his girlfriend's home in the New Lodge Road area of North Belfast.

A silver car with blacked out windows containing five loyalists passed Sean three times at North Queen Street and then at Millfield. After the third pass when the men in the car shouted sectarian abuse at him the youth cut down a side street on to Winetavern Street where the loyalists jumped from the car and and chased him. The gang cornered the youth at the back of Castle Court shopping complex.

Luckily for the youth, two women out walking their dogs spotted the four men getting out of the car and chasing the young boy and went to investigate. When the loyalists discovered they were spotted they jumped back into their car and drove off.

It has now emerged that an RUC/PSNI patrol later stopped the car but let it go immediately despite the fact it had been reported in relation to the attempted abduction. RUC\PSNI detectives have told Lorraine McColgan that the driver of the car will not be prosecuted in connection with the attempted abduction.

Lorraine McColgan said the refusal by the RUC/PSNI to investigate the abduction has heaped more anguish on her family. "Witnesses gave the RUC/PSNI statements that these men tried to abduct my son. They had stopped the car so they know the driver's name, and the make of car and yet they will not prosecute them for the attempt on my son's life."

She added that she will be bringing the matter to the Police Ombudsman Office if she doesn't get an explanation from Chief Constable Hugh Orde.

Sean's father John was killed in January 1998 when he was abducted by the LVF and shot five times in the back of the head and his body dumped at Hannahstown Hill in West Belfast.

Sinn Féin accuse crown forces of harassment

Sinn Féin councillor Willie Clarke has condemned the crown forces of a campaign of harassment they are waging against nationalists in Castlewellan, County Down.

According to Clarke, checkpoints were set up around Castlewellan on Tuesday 1 October and during the course of what he described as "an intelligence gathering operation", dozens of cars were stopped.

The Sinn Féin represenative said he has received up to a dozen complaints from people who say their human rights have been violated.

"The nature of the operation was very intimidating for motorists," said Clarke.

"This type of harassment against nationalist in County Down has been ongoing and has worsened lately. People's lives are being made a misery by increased British militarisation and is a total disgrace," he said.

Clarke said that Sinn Féin will continue to record increased militarisation of South Down which will be presented to the Irish government.

Taxi drivers warned

Armagh Sinn Féin councillor Cathy Rafferty has told An Phoblacht that members of the RUC/PSNI visited Catholic taxi drivers in the city and advised them on their personal security following threats from loyalist paramilitaries.

Drivers have been assaulted and had windows in their vehicles broken by loyalists in recent attacks. "Many taxi firms are reluctant to pick up fares in loyalist areas of Armagh," said Rafferty.

RUC/PSNI playing games with nationalist lives.

Sinn Féin councillor for North Belfast, Margaret McClenaghan, has accused the RUC/PSNI of playing games with nationalist lives after the force told the media that a pipe bomb thrown into Wyndham Street by loyalists on Monday night 30 September was a hoax.

The pipe bomb was thrown at nationalist homes but bounced off a security fence at the back of the houses. The RUC/PSNI later claimed it was a hoax, but local residents were able to get close to the device and take photographs of it. They are adamant it was no hoax.

"Nationalist residents in North Belfast are fed up with the RUC/PSNI giving wrong accounts to the media and the truth not finding its way out," said McClenaghan. "It is time this sectarian force dispensed with whatever agenda they are working to and to stop covering up loyalist attacks on vulnerable nationalist communities".

Two weeks ago, a pipe bomb was thrown into the back of a family home in the same street, while another house was petrol bombed.

Resident granted judicial review

A Short Strand resident was granted leave to apply for Judicial Review against RUC/PSNI Chief Constable Hugh Orde and British Secretary of State John Reid in the High Court on Friday 4 October.

The applicant, who cannot be named as she is applying for anonymity for reasons of personal safety, commenced her legal challenge to secure a change in the current RUC/PSNI security operation in the area.

The applicant, in her evidence, pointed to the failure of the RUC/PSNI to enforce the criminal law by not arresting and prosecuting those loyalists responsible for the constant attacks on nationalist residents and the failure to ensure the safety of residents.

The woman is also asking the court to find that the current security operation has breached her rights, guaranteed under the European Convention on Human Rights. She has cited specifically her right to life and her children's right to life, their right to freedom from inhuman and degrading treatment and their right to privacy and family life.

Solicitor for the applicant, Angela Ritchie, said the Short Strand mother was pleased at being granted leave to seek the Judicial Review. "People living in interface areas have had to endure horrendous conditions and have suffered serious attacks on their lives and homes from the use of pipe bombs and petrol bombs," she said.