FAMILY ANGER AT POLICE SCRUTINY
Family anger at police scrutiny
FRESH questions were raised yesterday over the intense scrutiny of police officers who handled the Omagh bombing at the inquest into the catastrophe, with the family of one of the dead saying they felt "almost ashamed" to be part of proceedings.
Relatives of Olive Hawkes, 60, expressed anger that those "whom we should be honouring for their bravery and compassion" were "being questioned and almost overshadowing those directly responsible".
A statement read out by one of Mrs Hawkes's two children, Mandy Walker, said: "This inquest, nor time will succeed in easing our grief and deep sense of loss. "Indeed it has done nothing more than to paint a vivid picture in our minds forever of the day when the so-called Real IRA destroyed our family unit and robbed us of the opportunity to even say goodbye to the most precious gift that God has ever given us.
"We are eternally grateful to the police in knowing that she was not alive and was treated with the respect and dignity that she so richly deserved. "As a family we have, at times, felt almost ashamed being part of proceedings whereby those to whom we should be honouring for their bravery and compassion are being questioned and almost overshadowing those responsible for the murder of Elizabeth Olive Hawkes."
Mrs Walker added: "I would like to state that my mother was not just a deceased body at the scene.
"She was foremost a wonderful person, who was much loved and needed by her family."
FRESH questions were raised yesterday over the intense scrutiny of police officers who handled the Omagh bombing at the inquest into the catastrophe, with the family of one of the dead saying they felt "almost ashamed" to be part of proceedings.
Relatives of Olive Hawkes, 60, expressed anger that those "whom we should be honouring for their bravery and compassion" were "being questioned and almost overshadowing those directly responsible".
A statement read out by one of Mrs Hawkes's two children, Mandy Walker, said: "This inquest, nor time will succeed in easing our grief and deep sense of loss. "Indeed it has done nothing more than to paint a vivid picture in our minds forever of the day when the so-called Real IRA destroyed our family unit and robbed us of the opportunity to even say goodbye to the most precious gift that God has ever given us.
"We are eternally grateful to the police in knowing that she was not alive and was treated with the respect and dignity that she so richly deserved. "As a family we have, at times, felt almost ashamed being part of proceedings whereby those to whom we should be honouring for their bravery and compassion are being questioned and almost overshadowing those responsible for the murder of Elizabeth Olive Hawkes."
Mrs Walker added: "I would like to state that my mother was not just a deceased body at the scene.
"She was foremost a wonderful person, who was much loved and needed by her family."
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0759
Published Date: 23-Sep-00
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