Claudy bomb victims remembered
THE parents of the youngest victim of the Claudy bombings passed away without ever recovering from the loss of their nine-year-old daughter.
Today marks the 37th anniversary of the IRA atrocity which claimed nine victims – five Catholics and four Protestants – but the search for justice which Billy and Merle Eakin desperately sought for their daughter Kathryn goes on.
"They just never recovered from what happened on that day, some of the other families were able to move on, but it just shattered the Eakin family," said William Houston.
On the morning of July 31, 1972 three separate car bombs ripped through the Co Londonderry village which had, up until that point, been largely untouched by the Troubles.
Images of carnage all too vivid for councillor
Kathryn Eakin, a nine-year-old girl, was cleaning the window of her father's shop when the no-warning bomb exploded, killing her instantly.
Mr Houston who has liaised with the victims' families and helped organise the 25th and 30th anniversary events, said the Eakin couple continued to grieve for their daughter right up until their own deaths.
"It is particularly poignant that this is the first anniversary that will not be remembered by the parents of little Kathryn Eakin... both Billy and Merle Eakin died within six months of each other during the past year.
“Neither received the justice for the untimely death of their beloved Kathryn, that they sought so much and went to their own graves still grieving for the tragic loss of their beloved nine-year-old daughter.”
While no official event will be held today to mark the anniversary, William says many of the relatives still feel a deep sense of frustration with the failure to deliver justice.
“Time has been a great healer for some of the relatives, but for many others another year has now gone past without any justice or answers,” he said.
“Whatever the reasons for the lack of progress in the police investigation and the delay in the Police Ombudsman’s publication of their report, the continuing lack of progress does nothing to help the relatives of the dead and those who were injured to achieve justice.
“Perhaps it is now time for Martin McGuinness, who was effectively the commander of the Derry brigade of the IRA at the time, to follow his own advice given to others and provide as much information as he can to the PSNI in order that those who still carry the scars of that fateful Monday may find some comfort and see some, if not all, of those responsible convicted for the crimes they carried out in Claudy.”
A spokesperson for the PSNI’s Historical Enquiries Team refused to comment on the investigation into the Claudy bombing.
The Police Ombudsman did, however, said a public report into the atrocity, for which noone claimed responsibility, was being prepared.
“The Ombudsman investigation is now complete and we are in the process of preparing a public report,” said a spokesperson.
The victims were Kathryn Eakin, Protestant civilian, aged nine; James McClelland, Protestant civilian, aged 65; David Miller, Protestant civilian, aged 60; Elizabeth McElhinney, Catholic civilian, aged 59; Joseph McCloskey, Catholic civilian, aged 38; William Temple, Protestant civilian, aged 17; Rosemary McLaughlin, Catholic civilian, aged 51, died August 3 1972; Joseph Connolly, Catholic civilian, aged 15, died August 8, 1972; Arthur Hone, Protestant civilian, aged 40, died August 12, 1972.
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Monday 28 May 2012
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