VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE FACE UP TO PEACE DEAL
Victims of violence face up to peace deal
By JEANETTE OLDHAM
LAST week terrorist prisoners, many of whom had served a fraction of their sentences, were freed for good.
That was just the beginning. Hundreds of other killers and maimers are set to follow in their footsteps.
This we all know. But how are victims and their families facing up to the price of the Good Friday Agreement?
A number of victims and relatives of victims this week spoke out about their fears of coming face-to-face with prisoners on the streets of Ulster.
And the issue of compensation, for which many were refused or are still in the process of claiming, seems to be one of the hardest factors of all for victims.
Michelle Williamson, whose parents were killed in the Shankill bombing in 1993, learned two weeks ago that she will receive no compensation.
She is only entitled to a contribution to funeral costs.
The law governing claims is complicated. Payment is determined by the NIO Compensation Agency. Claims can be disputed at county court.
Lost income is compensated. Funeral costs are usually paid, and a bereavement award of �7,500 is made to spouses of victims, or parents of victims under 18, who have never been married. A relative of a victim is only entitled to compensation if he or she was present at the scene of the crime.
Compensation Agency chief executive Dennis Stanley said: "We award claims according to what the law dictates.
"So if someone was injured in the Omagh bombing they will receive compensation for the trauma suffered.
"But many relatives of victims will not be entitled to such payouts if they were not at the scene of the bombing
"Sir Kenneth Bloom field's report may mean there are changes to the law in the future, but at the moment we must compensate according to how the law dictates."
By JEANETTE OLDHAM
LAST week terrorist prisoners, many of whom had served a fraction of their sentences, were freed for good.
That was just the beginning. Hundreds of other killers and maimers are set to follow in their footsteps.
This we all know. But how are victims and their families facing up to the price of the Good Friday Agreement?
A number of victims and relatives of victims this week spoke out about their fears of coming face-to-face with prisoners on the streets of Ulster.
And the issue of compensation, for which many were refused or are still in the process of claiming, seems to be one of the hardest factors of all for victims.
Michelle Williamson, whose parents were killed in the Shankill bombing in 1993, learned two weeks ago that she will receive no compensation.
She is only entitled to a contribution to funeral costs.
The law governing claims is complicated. Payment is determined by the NIO Compensation Agency. Claims can be disputed at county court.
Lost income is compensated. Funeral costs are usually paid, and a bereavement award of �7,500 is made to spouses of victims, or parents of victims under 18, who have never been married. A relative of a victim is only entitled to compensation if he or she was present at the scene of the crime.
Compensation Agency chief executive Dennis Stanley said: "We award claims according to what the law dictates.
"So if someone was injured in the Omagh bombing they will receive compensation for the trauma suffered.
"But many relatives of victims will not be entitled to such payouts if they were not at the scene of the bombing
"Sir Kenneth Bloom field's report may mean there are changes to the law in the future, but at the moment we must compensate according to how the law dictates."
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/303
Published Date: 18-Sep-98
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