THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO QUELL THE RELATIVE UNEASE
There is only one way to quell the relative unease
THIS past week began well for the relatives of the 29 victims of the Omagh bombing.
On Tuesday Colm Murphy was convicted of conspiring to cause the explosion in August 1998.
But the elation at the conviction of someone connected with the outrage has now been replaced with a feeling of despondency.
The relatives hope, rather than expect, that others more directly involved in the explosion will also be brought before the courts.
The rebuttal by the Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, of the Ombudsman's scathing report into the police investigation did not persuade the relatives that no stone has been left unturned in the hunt for the bombers.
In essence, for all his evidence that some of the criticism of the Ombudsman was unjustified, Sir Ronnie lost the argument.
To the bereaved and injured it is not enough that police intelligence has pinpointed the main suspects in the case.
What they want, and expected, was that an evidential bridge would be built between intelligence information and the courthouse - that the police would find the evidence to bring those suspected of the crime to justice. Sir Ronnie was not able to convince them that the investigation was sufficiently thorough to find that evidence.
The relatives have lost faith in the investigation and that is the most serious issue to emerge from the row between the Ombudsman and Sir Ronnie. But the relatives have been careful not to take sides in the row. Quite rightly they are judging the investigation, not on what the Ombudsman or Sir Ronnie said, but on the results. These have been the conviction of one person for conspiracy. That points to a failure by the police forces on both sides of the border to find the people guilty of the worst atrocity of the Northern Ireland Troubles. It is little wonder that the people of Omagh are in an unforgiving mood at the moment.
THIS past week began well for the relatives of the 29 victims of the Omagh bombing.
On Tuesday Colm Murphy was convicted of conspiring to cause the explosion in August 1998.
But the elation at the conviction of someone connected with the outrage has now been replaced with a feeling of despondency.
The relatives hope, rather than expect, that others more directly involved in the explosion will also be brought before the courts.
The rebuttal by the Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, of the Ombudsman's scathing report into the police investigation did not persuade the relatives that no stone has been left unturned in the hunt for the bombers.
In essence, for all his evidence that some of the criticism of the Ombudsman was unjustified, Sir Ronnie lost the argument.
To the bereaved and injured it is not enough that police intelligence has pinpointed the main suspects in the case.
What they want, and expected, was that an evidential bridge would be built between intelligence information and the courthouse - that the police would find the evidence to bring those suspected of the crime to justice. Sir Ronnie was not able to convince them that the investigation was sufficiently thorough to find that evidence.
The relatives have lost faith in the investigation and that is the most serious issue to emerge from the row between the Ombudsman and Sir Ronnie. But the relatives have been careful not to take sides in the row. Quite rightly they are judging the investigation, not on what the Ombudsman or Sir Ronnie said, but on the results. These have been the conviction of one person for conspiracy. That points to a failure by the police forces on both sides of the border to find the people guilty of the worst atrocity of the Northern Ireland Troubles. It is little wonder that the people of Omagh are in an unforgiving mood at the moment.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH EXTRA
Ref: BT/0843
Published Date: 26-Jan-02
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