FLANAGAN SAYS SORRY TO OMAGH FAMILIES
Flanagan says sorry to Omagh families
BY DAVID YOUNG and AARON TINNEY
newsdesk@newsletter.co.uk
FORMER Northern Ireland police chief Sir Ronnie Flanagan last night apologised to the families of the Omagh bomb victims for his force's handling of the case.
It was the first time the ex-RUC Chief Constable has publicly said sorry for the botched investigation into the atrocity that claimed the lives of 29 people and injured 220 others.
Last month, south Armagh man Sean Hoey was cleared of the 1998 Omagh murders and a series of other dissident republican attacks.
Setting the 39-year-old electrician free, trial judge Mr Justice Weir highlighted malpractice at every stage of evidence-gathering procedures.
Sir Ronnie said he would not step down as head of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, but he told Channel 4 News: "I absolutely publicly apologise to the families in Omagh. I am desperately sorry that we have not at this point brought people to justice for that dreadful attack. I publicly apologise to all those families and all those victims, to all those who were injured, without reservation.
"Of course, as Chief Constable I have to take responsibility for the shortcomings that the judge highlighted and I take responsibility for those shortcomings."
Asked if he would resign, Sir Ronnie replied: "I don't think that is appropriate."
Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son was killed in the blast, last night told the News Letter he did not think blame should fall solely on Sir Ronnie's shoulders.
Speaking from a conference for victims of terrorism in Madrid, he said: "I think it's important we don't focus on one individual [Sir Ronnie]. This investigation has lasted nine-and-a-half years and there has been a number of disastrous failures in the inquiry across the board.
"The only answer, I feel, is to hold a cross-border public inquiry to give the families some understanding of what happened before and after the bombing."
The chairman of the 180-member Omagh Support and Self-Help Group added: "All of us just carry a deep regret the perpetrators of the crime have not been brought to justice."
But Victor Barker, who lost his 12-year-old boy in the attack, claimed the apology didn't go far enough.
He met with the senior officer just before he gave the Channel 4 interview, and said: "He apologised that no one's been brought to justice, that's very different from apologising for his own involvement in the case.
"I don't think he can morally justify remaining in his current position when he was the major responsible officer for an investigation that fell so short of what the relatives should have expected."
BY DAVID YOUNG and AARON TINNEY
newsdesk@newsletter.co.uk
FORMER Northern Ireland police chief Sir Ronnie Flanagan last night apologised to the families of the Omagh bomb victims for his force's handling of the case.
It was the first time the ex-RUC Chief Constable has publicly said sorry for the botched investigation into the atrocity that claimed the lives of 29 people and injured 220 others.
Last month, south Armagh man Sean Hoey was cleared of the 1998 Omagh murders and a series of other dissident republican attacks.
Setting the 39-year-old electrician free, trial judge Mr Justice Weir highlighted malpractice at every stage of evidence-gathering procedures.
Sir Ronnie said he would not step down as head of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, but he told Channel 4 News: "I absolutely publicly apologise to the families in Omagh. I am desperately sorry that we have not at this point brought people to justice for that dreadful attack. I publicly apologise to all those families and all those victims, to all those who were injured, without reservation.
"Of course, as Chief Constable I have to take responsibility for the shortcomings that the judge highlighted and I take responsibility for those shortcomings."
Asked if he would resign, Sir Ronnie replied: "I don't think that is appropriate."
Michael Gallagher, whose 21-year-old son was killed in the blast, last night told the News Letter he did not think blame should fall solely on Sir Ronnie's shoulders.
Speaking from a conference for victims of terrorism in Madrid, he said: "I think it's important we don't focus on one individual [Sir Ronnie]. This investigation has lasted nine-and-a-half years and there has been a number of disastrous failures in the inquiry across the board.
"The only answer, I feel, is to hold a cross-border public inquiry to give the families some understanding of what happened before and after the bombing."
The chairman of the 180-member Omagh Support and Self-Help Group added: "All of us just carry a deep regret the perpetrators of the crime have not been brought to justice."
But Victor Barker, who lost his 12-year-old boy in the attack, claimed the apology didn't go far enough.
He met with the senior officer just before he gave the Channel 4 interview, and said: "He apologised that no one's been brought to justice, that's very different from apologising for his own involvement in the case.
"I don't think he can morally justify remaining in his current position when he was the major responsible officer for an investigation that fell so short of what the relatives should have expected."
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/721
Published Date: 24-Jan-08
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