HOAX CALLS DESCRIBED AS WORK OF THE DEVIL
Hoax calls described as 'work of the devil'
By Seamus McKinney
A COUNTY Donegal parish priest has branded as "evil and satanic" a number of hoax calls to the families of two Buncrana children killed in the Omagh bombing.
The hoax caller has been contacting the McLaughlin and Doherty families, whose sons Sean and Oran were killed in the bombing, asking to speak to the dead children.
Along with James Baxter, Oran and Sean died when they accompanied Spanish visitors to the town on the day of the bombing. Two of the Spanish party were also killed.
Describing the calls, John McLaughlin, father of Sean, said they were the work of an "evil and twisted man."
Mr McLaughlin said the caller, who spoke with a soft accent to disguise his voice, rang last weekend and asked to speak to Sean.
"We honestly thought that he did not know Sean was dead.
"It wasn't until he hung up and we heard that the Doherty family had taken a string of calls that we knew what was going on."
The distraught Buncrana father said the calls prevented his family from starting their recovery from the trauma of the last fortnight.
The family was now waiting for the telephone to ring and wondering if it would be the hoax caller again, he said.
Gardai in the County Donegal town have vowed to "leave no stone unturned" in their efforts to find the hoax caller.
Superintendent Greg O'Sullivan said the investigation into the incidents was at an early stage.
Superintendent O'Sullivan said the entire community in Buncrana was "absolutely sickened" by the calls.
"We are giving this the absolute attention it deserves. It is about as nasty a thing as you could get. It might be a cliche but we'll leave no stone unturned to find those responsible," he said.
Buncrana parish priest, Fr Joseph Carolan said he was disgusted by the "evil and satanic" telephone calls.
"The people who do it are sick, not just mentally sick but they are spiritually sick." Fr Carolan said.
The Donegal cleric revealed the calls to the Doherty and McLaughlin families had stopped for a while but resumed towards the end of last week.
"I think it must be someone from outside the town. It is a horrible business.
"It is evil. It is Satan who is behind it," he said.
By Seamus McKinney
A COUNTY Donegal parish priest has branded as "evil and satanic" a number of hoax calls to the families of two Buncrana children killed in the Omagh bombing.
The hoax caller has been contacting the McLaughlin and Doherty families, whose sons Sean and Oran were killed in the bombing, asking to speak to the dead children.
Along with James Baxter, Oran and Sean died when they accompanied Spanish visitors to the town on the day of the bombing. Two of the Spanish party were also killed.
Describing the calls, John McLaughlin, father of Sean, said they were the work of an "evil and twisted man."
Mr McLaughlin said the caller, who spoke with a soft accent to disguise his voice, rang last weekend and asked to speak to Sean.
"We honestly thought that he did not know Sean was dead.
"It wasn't until he hung up and we heard that the Doherty family had taken a string of calls that we knew what was going on."
The distraught Buncrana father said the calls prevented his family from starting their recovery from the trauma of the last fortnight.
The family was now waiting for the telephone to ring and wondering if it would be the hoax caller again, he said.
Gardai in the County Donegal town have vowed to "leave no stone unturned" in their efforts to find the hoax caller.
Superintendent Greg O'Sullivan said the investigation into the incidents was at an early stage.
Superintendent O'Sullivan said the entire community in Buncrana was "absolutely sickened" by the calls.
"We are giving this the absolute attention it deserves. It is about as nasty a thing as you could get. It might be a cliche but we'll leave no stone unturned to find those responsible," he said.
Buncrana parish priest, Fr Joseph Carolan said he was disgusted by the "evil and satanic" telephone calls.
"The people who do it are sick, not just mentally sick but they are spiritually sick." Fr Carolan said.
The Donegal cleric revealed the calls to the Doherty and McLaughlin families had stopped for a while but resumed towards the end of last week.
"I think it must be someone from outside the town. It is a horrible business.
"It is evil. It is Satan who is behind it," he said.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0344
Published Date: 01-Sep-98
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