IT'S BETTER TO NAME NAMES AND GIVE OMAGH RELATIVES 'JUSTICE'
It's better to name names and give Omagh relatives 'justice'
Gail Walker
ONE can only have sympathy with Lawrence Rush in his determination to block tonight's edition of Panorama about the Omagh bombing.
Haying lost his wife, Libbi in the atrocity, it would be an irony beyond words if a well-meaning but dangerous piece of journalism lost him his right to justice as well. Understandably he feels those allegedly implicated in the murder of his wife and 30 others (counting, as we ought to, the unborn twins) should be in the dock of a courtroom, not facing trial by TV.
But Mr Rush is wrong, I am afraid. Apart from the High Court's rejection of his claim that the programme could jeopardise any future trials, it is the duty of a free media to ask awkward questions and, if not answered, to point out that certain persons have "questions to answer."
That is the bedrock of investigative reporting. Of course, the media have a moral and legal duty to art sensibly and not prejudice any potential court cases arising from their investigations. Barring an outbreak of insanity among the highly-rated Panorama team, I'm sure the programme will be scrupulously within the law. But this is not the nut of the issue. There would be no Panorama programme if we had a court system that could bring terrorists to the justice they so richly deserve-or if we didn't live in a society where there are many willing to keep quiet about their friendly neighbourhood murderers. We are told that detectives know the identities of the Omagh bombers. Their problem is lack of evidence which would stand up in court. It is over two years since Omagh. No wonder some relatives are keen to see suspects publicly named - they fear it's the only 'justice' they will get. Seeing those allegedly implicated in the bombing squirm and face public ostracism is not much of a punishment, but, hey, it's better than nothing.
Although there are many in Northern Ireland who know that the killers of their loved ones will never be brought to book, there has long been a suspicion that the Omagh bombing is different - that there have been political shenanigans surrounding the atrocity.
That the perpetrators will never be brought to justice in order not to rock the peace boat.
As conspiracy theories go, that may or may not be rubbish but it's in the air and many people feel that justice is being sacrificed to political expediency. It is natural, therefore, for grieving relatives to turn away from our judicial system to other potential means of redress.
The Omagh relatives and victims have had to endure unimaginable pain - emotional and physical. Their need for resolution needs to be addressed now. Following the explosion we had an unprecedented wave of grief and public breastbeating. But millions of pounds in a memorial fund and a visit by President Clinton does not really salve the pain.
Omagh was to be the last atrocity. Does anyone today really believe that? The "Good" IRA cheerleaders hum and haw about helping the police find the killers. The "Bad" IRA spindoctors, after a few months keeping their heads down, are now fundraising away - as if they were the St John Ambulance Brigade. And nobody can stop them. The painful truth is that Omagh was for nothing. It could happen again tomorrow.
There may well be another Panorama. There'd still be no justice.
Gail Walker
ONE can only have sympathy with Lawrence Rush in his determination to block tonight's edition of Panorama about the Omagh bombing.
Haying lost his wife, Libbi in the atrocity, it would be an irony beyond words if a well-meaning but dangerous piece of journalism lost him his right to justice as well. Understandably he feels those allegedly implicated in the murder of his wife and 30 others (counting, as we ought to, the unborn twins) should be in the dock of a courtroom, not facing trial by TV.
But Mr Rush is wrong, I am afraid. Apart from the High Court's rejection of his claim that the programme could jeopardise any future trials, it is the duty of a free media to ask awkward questions and, if not answered, to point out that certain persons have "questions to answer."
That is the bedrock of investigative reporting. Of course, the media have a moral and legal duty to art sensibly and not prejudice any potential court cases arising from their investigations. Barring an outbreak of insanity among the highly-rated Panorama team, I'm sure the programme will be scrupulously within the law. But this is not the nut of the issue. There would be no Panorama programme if we had a court system that could bring terrorists to the justice they so richly deserve-or if we didn't live in a society where there are many willing to keep quiet about their friendly neighbourhood murderers. We are told that detectives know the identities of the Omagh bombers. Their problem is lack of evidence which would stand up in court. It is over two years since Omagh. No wonder some relatives are keen to see suspects publicly named - they fear it's the only 'justice' they will get. Seeing those allegedly implicated in the bombing squirm and face public ostracism is not much of a punishment, but, hey, it's better than nothing.
Although there are many in Northern Ireland who know that the killers of their loved ones will never be brought to book, there has long been a suspicion that the Omagh bombing is different - that there have been political shenanigans surrounding the atrocity.
That the perpetrators will never be brought to justice in order not to rock the peace boat.
As conspiracy theories go, that may or may not be rubbish but it's in the air and many people feel that justice is being sacrificed to political expediency. It is natural, therefore, for grieving relatives to turn away from our judicial system to other potential means of redress.
The Omagh relatives and victims have had to endure unimaginable pain - emotional and physical. Their need for resolution needs to be addressed now. Following the explosion we had an unprecedented wave of grief and public breastbeating. But millions of pounds in a memorial fund and a visit by President Clinton does not really salve the pain.
Omagh was to be the last atrocity. Does anyone today really believe that? The "Good" IRA cheerleaders hum and haw about helping the police find the killers. The "Bad" IRA spindoctors, after a few months keeping their heads down, are now fundraising away - as if they were the St John Ambulance Brigade. And nobody can stop them. The painful truth is that Omagh was for nothing. It could happen again tomorrow.
There may well be another Panorama. There'd still be no justice.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0762
Published Date: 09-Oct-00
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