The big knock

Sinead McCool describes what it’s like to endure PSNI harassment and a raid against your family’s home in 2018.

As a Republican of many years and a former prisoner I have become accustomed to many forms of harassment and intimidation, in fact, I have come to expect it. However, in recent months the RUC have escalated this harassment by constantly following my son to and from school every day. They have also begun stopping myself and my husband every time he takes me to hospital. Something that is somewhat creepy and very distressing is the fact they seem to have prior knowledge of my appointments and purposely keep me late.

My oldest son is often approached by these thugs in uniform when he is socialising in town and regularly called by his Christian name in an attempt to intimidate him. Fortunately, he has strong friends who understand and deplore these Crown Force tactics.

These forms of harassment are not exclusive to my family but have become increasingly violent of late. In the last year alone we have been attacked resulting in myself and my husband being hospitalised and we have received death threats from British soldiers dressed in RUC uniforms. These incidents, pale in significance when compared to Tuesday’s attack on my home and my family.

I was in bed when the front door crashed open and what I can only describe as a pack of baying animals stormed our home. My eldest son helped me out of bed in time to see Kieran being attacked in the downstairs hallway then arrested.

Once Kieran was removed from the house, what can only be described as a nightmare for my family began. We were shouted at aggressively, verbally abused and threatened with arrest by masked gunmen. We were forced into one room and refused access to a toilet, food or water. I was denied my medication and my twelve-year-old son was told he couldn’t go to school as he was under house arrest. My entire family was searched in an intimate manner of which I prefer not to go into detail; I will let you use your own imagination.

My already traumatised son was threatened with arrest for mistakenly giving his date of birth incorrectly. For anyone who doesn’t my twelve-year-old son, he is a dote and on the autism spectrum. So I’m sure you can imagine his reaction.

These actions were carried out with glee by the RUC who delighted in telling us they were here to wreck the house and destroy our lives.

This is just a small insight into the behaviour of the RUC and a glimpse into the life of a mother and a family hounded by Crown Forces and their cheerleaders in Sinn Fein.

No matter what you think of my politics, no family should ever be treated like this. If it was wrong in the 1970’s, 1980’s and 1990’s then it’s wrong now. My family have feelings too and refuse to be treated as lesser human beings because politicians say it’s acceptable. It’s not!

Urgent Appeal