FAMILIES WILL BE 'VICTIMS FOR A SECOND TIME AROUND'
Families will be 'victims for a second time round'
By Mary Fitzgerald
FAMILIES who lost their loved ones in the Omagh bombing were today trying to come to terms with the devastating revelations contained in the leaked Police Ombudsman's report.
Michael Gallagher, whose 21 year old son Aidan died in the blast, spoke of his sadness and described the report as "worrying."
"If these allegations turn out to be true then the families will feel such pain and grief that what could have been avoided was not.
"Anger is an emotion that a lot of the Omagh families are feeling today. "We will be made victims for a second time round if it is shown to be true that a shoddy investigation was carried out," he said. Mr Gallagher said he would demand a public inquiry if the allegations were contained in the final draft of the report. He added that the findings should not allow attention to be taken away from the bombers.
"We will not allow this to take the focus away from those who planted the bomb in Omagh," he said.
Stanley McCombe, who lost his wife Ann in the atrocity, said he was shocked and upset by the report's contents.
"I feel such a sense of disbelief that information may have been received and wasn't passed on to avoid the bombing. The news has been very upsetting for my two sons. We were trying to get on with our lives but this is absolutely devastating." Mr McCombe said the report did not remove the focus on those responsible for the tragedy. "The blame lies entirely with the Real IRA who planted the bomb and they have to be brought to justice. We have to get to the bottom of this," he said.
Victor Barker, whose 12-year-old son James was also among the dead, said he was deeply sceptical about the role played by Special Branch.
"To blame it on the police officers on the ground would be a travesty but I think the role of Special Branch needs to be looked at. I am not really convinced of anything at the moment but nothing would surprise me. The whole thing is a shambles and I just wish someone would tell us the truth. I don't think we will ever get the real facts," he said.
The Surrey-based solicitor added: "Let's not forget that the criminals who made this bomb and drove it through the town are the ones who are ultimately responsible for this."
By Mary Fitzgerald
FAMILIES who lost their loved ones in the Omagh bombing were today trying to come to terms with the devastating revelations contained in the leaked Police Ombudsman's report.
Michael Gallagher, whose 21 year old son Aidan died in the blast, spoke of his sadness and described the report as "worrying."
"If these allegations turn out to be true then the families will feel such pain and grief that what could have been avoided was not.
"Anger is an emotion that a lot of the Omagh families are feeling today. "We will be made victims for a second time round if it is shown to be true that a shoddy investigation was carried out," he said. Mr Gallagher said he would demand a public inquiry if the allegations were contained in the final draft of the report. He added that the findings should not allow attention to be taken away from the bombers.
"We will not allow this to take the focus away from those who planted the bomb in Omagh," he said.
Stanley McCombe, who lost his wife Ann in the atrocity, said he was shocked and upset by the report's contents.
"I feel such a sense of disbelief that information may have been received and wasn't passed on to avoid the bombing. The news has been very upsetting for my two sons. We were trying to get on with our lives but this is absolutely devastating." Mr McCombe said the report did not remove the focus on those responsible for the tragedy. "The blame lies entirely with the Real IRA who planted the bomb and they have to be brought to justice. We have to get to the bottom of this," he said.
Victor Barker, whose 12-year-old son James was also among the dead, said he was deeply sceptical about the role played by Special Branch.
"To blame it on the police officers on the ground would be a travesty but I think the role of Special Branch needs to be looked at. I am not really convinced of anything at the moment but nothing would surprise me. The whole thing is a shambles and I just wish someone would tell us the truth. I don't think we will ever get the real facts," he said.
The Surrey-based solicitor added: "Let's not forget that the criminals who made this bomb and drove it through the town are the ones who are ultimately responsible for this."
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0788
Published Date: 07-Dec-01
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