CLLR DENISE MULLEN: Amnesty for British Crimes in the North a Slap in the Face for Victims and their Families
Aontú Deputy Leader & Cllr for Mid Ulster, Denise Mullen, has decried the latest obstruction of legacy investigations by the Tory government, and the pain the Tories continue to inflict upon the victims of British crimes in the North. Cllr Mullen’s father was murdered by the Glenanne Gang when Denise was just 4 years old. A death threat was sent to Denise in recent months by the man who committed that murder. He sent it in the name of the East Tyrone UVF.
Cllr Denise Mullen:
“This latest move by the British government to bar prosecution for any crimes committed by British forces in the North is shocking, but has been inevitable for some time. In the North, British justice means no justice. Only a few months ago, did the British government refuse to prosecute any further British troops for the Bloody Sunday massacre. Just before Christmas, the Tories refused to hold a public inquiry into the murder of solicitor Pat Finucane and the role of British collusion in his murder”.
“Now today, the Tories have gone so far as to codify this policy in law. The formal position of the British government, soon to be enshrined in law, is that the victims and survivors of state-sanctioned violence and British collusion do not deserve justice. This is a flagrant violation of the Good Friday Agreement which does untold damage to the peace process in the North. Truth, accountability and justice have never been brought to the North due to the simple fact that the British government’s actions have never been truly investigated and perpetrators held accountable. Those who lost loved ones are once again relegated to a cover up operation to protect those who commissioned such bloodshed. Why are we less deserving of justice for what was done to us than anyone else?”
“I would like at this point to offer some assurance to the families, who like myself have had family members murdered by the Glenanne Gang. This Bill will not affect the ongoing Court case as there is a High Court order in place. The actions of the Tories in Westminster to stonewall our pursuit of justice, truth and accountability for those we love will not be successful. In the words of Martin Luther King, ‘the arc of history is long but bends towards justice.’ I would call on the Irish government and all parties in the Dáil to immediately condemn this flagrant action and that a robust diplomatic response be prepared. I would further call on Ireland’s children in America, in Europe and the wider world to bring pressure to bear on the British government to reverse this damaging undemocratic and unethical act. Justice, truth and accountability are not threats to our democracy – they are the building blocks upon which it is built. If the British government is fearful of justice, truth and accountability then that speaks for itself."
