Chief Constable wrong to want to 'draw a line under the past' and Mr Paisley Jnr wrong to help him on with it.
30 March 2010
Statement by TUV Leader Jim Allister QC
“The Chief Constable’s declaration of intent to ‘draw a line under the past’ and wind up the work of the HET indicates a mindset which is more informed by the needs of the so called ‘peace process’ than the need for justice.
“Every victim I know tells me that their greatest hunger is for justice. A Chief Constable motivated by drawing a line under the past is not a Chief Constable likely to deliver the justice which comes from bringing murderers to account. In a week when fresh allegations suggest individuals like Gerry Adams have escaped justice, it ill becomes the Chief Constable to want to wash his hands of the investigation of the past.
“It also ill becomes politicians like Ian Paisley Jnr to help him on with it by talking on Good Morning Ulster about the priority of policing the present and the future – comments in line with Ian Paisley Snr’s valedictory Commons speech when he looked forward to forgetting ‘The Troubles’. I note, also, that the DUP is split on this matter, with Jeffrey Donaldson on ‘Nolan’ demanding the HET continue!
“The HET has been an imperfect tool in providing justice and satisfaction, but its replacement by nothing is not acceptable, nor is morphing into a meaningless scenario of “story-telling”, where the innocent victim’s story would have the same moral and truth value as that of the former terrorist.
“We reject the philosophy of abandoning the pursuit of justice to insipid “information gathering” On the contrary vigorous pursuit of justice must be timeless.
“Despite all the hype from some about a caring interest in victims, the reality is that innocent victims of terrorism are one of the most politically exploited and neglected sectors in the new Northern Ireland. Having their innocent victims still hurting while the IRA sits in government, is an inconvenient embarrassment for those who ushered Sinn Fein into the top office in the land, where Martin McGuinness – the personification of the IRA’s wicked campaign – has joint oversight of victims’ issues. But the comfort of office eases the embarrassment. Even at the Hillsborough negotiations nothing was secured for victims.”
