O'LOAN RELATIVES DESERVE TRUTH
O'Loan: relatives deserve truth
BY ADRIAN RUTHERFORD
FORMER Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan says the relatives of those who died in the Omagh bombing have a right to be told the truth.
Ms O'Loan was among hundreds of people who attended the service of remembrance.
"I think that the Omagh families have the right to know what happened that day. I did what I could as Police Ombudsman to attempt to establish that," she said.
Her comments were welcomed by Michael Gallagher, chairman of the Omagh Support and Self Help Group.
"The longer that we move away from the atrocity then I think the more likely it is we will have the truth," he said.
"It is a pressure cooker and we can't keep the lid on this pressure cooker forever.
"We need some closure on Omagh. They have tried to give us some measure of that through the criminal justice system but that has failed."
Kevin Skelton, whose wife Philomena died in the bombing, accused the British and Irish governments of blocking the truth.
"I don't think we'll get a public inquiry," he said. "There have been too many lies told and
both governments don't want the truth to come out."
He also defended the decision by some families not to attend the official ceremony on Friday in protest at Omagh council's choice of wording on two memorials.
"Today is all about the families, nothing else and no one else," he said.
Omagh council vice-chairman Josephine Deehan, who attended yesterday's service, said: "The council has always respected the position of the bereaved families. I hope that we can now go forward in a fully united way to try and rebuild our community."
BY ADRIAN RUTHERFORD
FORMER Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan says the relatives of those who died in the Omagh bombing have a right to be told the truth.
Ms O'Loan was among hundreds of people who attended the service of remembrance.
"I think that the Omagh families have the right to know what happened that day. I did what I could as Police Ombudsman to attempt to establish that," she said.
Her comments were welcomed by Michael Gallagher, chairman of the Omagh Support and Self Help Group.
"The longer that we move away from the atrocity then I think the more likely it is we will have the truth," he said.
"It is a pressure cooker and we can't keep the lid on this pressure cooker forever.
"We need some closure on Omagh. They have tried to give us some measure of that through the criminal justice system but that has failed."
Kevin Skelton, whose wife Philomena died in the bombing, accused the British and Irish governments of blocking the truth.
"I don't think we'll get a public inquiry," he said. "There have been too many lies told and
both governments don't want the truth to come out."
He also defended the decision by some families not to attend the official ceremony on Friday in protest at Omagh council's choice of wording on two memorials.
"Today is all about the families, nothing else and no one else," he said.
Omagh council vice-chairman Josephine Deehan, who attended yesterday's service, said: "The council has always respected the position of the bereaved families. I hope that we can now go forward in a fully united way to try and rebuild our community."
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT10An/41
Published Date: 18-Aug-08
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