BUNCRANA FAMILIES UPSET AT RE-SCHEDULE OF INQUEST
Buncrana families upset at re-schedule of Inquest
ByCATRIONAGALLEM
THE inquest into the deaths of two Spanish exchange students on Thursday of last week has caused anger and disappointment to the host families in Buncrana.
Mary Gallagher and Maura Cutliffe had intended to travel to Omagh on Thursday of last week to take the place of the Spanish parents of 12 year old Fernando Blasco Baselga and 23 year old Rocio Abad Ramos.
But two hours before they were scheduled to leave Donegal, they received word that the Inquests into their deaths had been pushed through in the morning two hours before they were scheduled to be heard.
Buncrana priest, Fr Shane Bradley, who has been present with the families throughout the Inquests, explained the disappointment felt by the families who had looked after the victims.
"The families wanted to be at the Inquest as an act of human solidarity, to act in locus parentis as Rocio and Fernando's parents were not making the trip.
"It's very cold reading the intimate details of the wounds which led to the deaths of these two people with no one there to represent them.
"Both families had checked with the Spanish families if they wished them to be present at the Inquest and they had seemed quite pleased that they had made the offer.
"We had understood that the Inquest was due to take place at 2 pm," added Fr Bradley.
The association of the host families with the Spanish exchange students has extended over a number of years and many of the families in Buncrana have established a long standing relationship, with many of the students.
Maura Cutliffe had hosted Spanish teacher Rocio Abad Ramos as a young Spanish student for four years. Rocio was on her first return trip to Buncrana as a leader and was in Ireland only two weeks before being tragically killed in the Omagh bomb.
Following the tragedy Maura had made the trip to Spain to meet with Rocio's family and sympathise with them in their grief.
Fr Shane Bradley explained that making the trip to Omagh had been particularly traumatic for many of the families and in many ways the inquest was "revisiting a gaping wound that had not healed." But he added that many good things had come from the inquest for the families, particularly meeting with police officers at the scene.
He said that both families of school friends, Oran Doherty and Sean McLaughlin had found some comfort in two very useful encounters with police who were able to confirm circumstances surrounding the boys' death.
Fr Bradley also commended Superintendent James Baxter for his comments at the Inquest on Monday.
"Superintendent Baxter's powerful statement was a fair comment and one of the families were particularly pleased with his comment that the tragedy was not a question of police procedure but the reality is that other people planted the bomb and had the power to alert police properly and the responsibility for the deaths lay on their shoulders," he added.
It is understood that both Rocio Abad Ramos and Fernando Blasco Baselga are to be given extra consideration in the Coroner's concluding remarks at the close of the Inquest, in light of the hearing of the inquest into their deaths being heard hours before they were scheduled.
ByCATRIONAGALLEM
THE inquest into the deaths of two Spanish exchange students on Thursday of last week has caused anger and disappointment to the host families in Buncrana.
Mary Gallagher and Maura Cutliffe had intended to travel to Omagh on Thursday of last week to take the place of the Spanish parents of 12 year old Fernando Blasco Baselga and 23 year old Rocio Abad Ramos.
But two hours before they were scheduled to leave Donegal, they received word that the Inquests into their deaths had been pushed through in the morning two hours before they were scheduled to be heard.
Buncrana priest, Fr Shane Bradley, who has been present with the families throughout the Inquests, explained the disappointment felt by the families who had looked after the victims.
"The families wanted to be at the Inquest as an act of human solidarity, to act in locus parentis as Rocio and Fernando's parents were not making the trip.
"It's very cold reading the intimate details of the wounds which led to the deaths of these two people with no one there to represent them.
"Both families had checked with the Spanish families if they wished them to be present at the Inquest and they had seemed quite pleased that they had made the offer.
"We had understood that the Inquest was due to take place at 2 pm," added Fr Bradley.
The association of the host families with the Spanish exchange students has extended over a number of years and many of the families in Buncrana have established a long standing relationship, with many of the students.
Maura Cutliffe had hosted Spanish teacher Rocio Abad Ramos as a young Spanish student for four years. Rocio was on her first return trip to Buncrana as a leader and was in Ireland only two weeks before being tragically killed in the Omagh bomb.
Following the tragedy Maura had made the trip to Spain to meet with Rocio's family and sympathise with them in their grief.
Fr Shane Bradley explained that making the trip to Omagh had been particularly traumatic for many of the families and in many ways the inquest was "revisiting a gaping wound that had not healed." But he added that many good things had come from the inquest for the families, particularly meeting with police officers at the scene.
He said that both families of school friends, Oran Doherty and Sean McLaughlin had found some comfort in two very useful encounters with police who were able to confirm circumstances surrounding the boys' death.
Fr Bradley also commended Superintendent James Baxter for his comments at the Inquest on Monday.
"Superintendent Baxter's powerful statement was a fair comment and one of the families were particularly pleased with his comment that the tragedy was not a question of police procedure but the reality is that other people planted the bomb and had the power to alert police properly and the responsibility for the deaths lay on their shoulders," he added.
It is understood that both Rocio Abad Ramos and Fernando Blasco Baselga are to be given extra consideration in the Coroner's concluding remarks at the close of the Inquest, in light of the hearing of the inquest into their deaths being heard hours before they were scheduled.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1460
Published Date: 21-Sep-00
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