RELATIVES VICTIMISED BY JUSTICE SYSTEM
Relatives victimised by justice system'
EXCLUSIVE
By Sharon O'Neill
Chief Reporter
THE newly appointed police chief overseeing the Omagh bomb investigation believes that relatives have been victimised twice by the bombers and the criminal justice system, including the police.
In his first in-depth interview since taking up the post, Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kinkaid urges the public to judge him by results after nine months.
His comments come just days before the fourth anniversary of the Real IRA attack which killed 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins.
In taking on the Omagh investigation Mr Kinkaid, who is in charge of policing the north region, will be overseeing a probe which is certain to be carried out in the full glare of public scrutiny.
The Police Ombudsman's highly critical report into the RUC's handling of the investigation has resulted in the appointment of two senior Merseyside officers to oversee the inquiry.
"Personally, I think the relatives have in many ways been victimised twice," Mr Kinkaid tells the Irish News.
"They were victimised the first time when the bomb occurred and they suffered terribly.
"I believe in many ways they have been victimised a second time by the way the criminal justice system hasn't been able to deliver a prosecution.
"As a senior police officer I wish we had been able to bring people to justice at an earlier date."
Later this month (August 22) Mr Kinkaid will, for the first time, brief Policing Board members on the state of the new investigation during a private meeting, but it is the victims' relatives, whom he knows, will be his harshest judges.
"I have asked them (the relatives) to judge us over the next six to nine months, by what we do, and what we achieve.
"Judge me by results, judge me by people in court or if I can't get people in court, some independent review saying this was a really well run investigation but just couldn't find the evidence, that is what I want to be judged by."
But the senior officer stops short of guaranteeing that the Real IRA bombers will be caught.
"I never guarantee success in murders. You can't guarantee success in murders. What you can guarantee though is to work very hard to get a result."
What Mr Kinkaid does promise however, is that the mistakes of the past will not be repeated and that the investigative team will do everything in their power in a quest for convictions.
"As long as I am in charge of this I am personally guaranteeing that this will be an enthusiastic and professional investigation. We will endeavour to ensure that every possible line of inquiry will be followed."
EXCLUSIVE
By Sharon O'Neill
Chief Reporter
THE newly appointed police chief overseeing the Omagh bomb investigation believes that relatives have been victimised twice by the bombers and the criminal justice system, including the police.
In his first in-depth interview since taking up the post, Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kinkaid urges the public to judge him by results after nine months.
His comments come just days before the fourth anniversary of the Real IRA attack which killed 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins.
In taking on the Omagh investigation Mr Kinkaid, who is in charge of policing the north region, will be overseeing a probe which is certain to be carried out in the full glare of public scrutiny.
The Police Ombudsman's highly critical report into the RUC's handling of the investigation has resulted in the appointment of two senior Merseyside officers to oversee the inquiry.
"Personally, I think the relatives have in many ways been victimised twice," Mr Kinkaid tells the Irish News.
"They were victimised the first time when the bomb occurred and they suffered terribly.
"I believe in many ways they have been victimised a second time by the way the criminal justice system hasn't been able to deliver a prosecution.
"As a senior police officer I wish we had been able to bring people to justice at an earlier date."
Later this month (August 22) Mr Kinkaid will, for the first time, brief Policing Board members on the state of the new investigation during a private meeting, but it is the victims' relatives, whom he knows, will be his harshest judges.
"I have asked them (the relatives) to judge us over the next six to nine months, by what we do, and what we achieve.
"Judge me by results, judge me by people in court or if I can't get people in court, some independent review saying this was a really well run investigation but just couldn't find the evidence, that is what I want to be judged by."
But the senior officer stops short of guaranteeing that the Real IRA bombers will be caught.
"I never guarantee success in murders. You can't guarantee success in murders. What you can guarantee though is to work very hard to get a result."
What Mr Kinkaid does promise however, is that the mistakes of the past will not be repeated and that the investigative team will do everything in their power in a quest for convictions.
"As long as I am in charge of this I am personally guaranteeing that this will be an enthusiastic and professional investigation. We will endeavour to ensure that every possible line of inquiry will be followed."
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0569
Published Date: 12-Aug-02
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.