CLAUDY REPORT: 'Report must not be the final chapter'
CONFIRMATION that the police, government and Catholic church covered up the involvement of a priest in the Claudy bombings must be used to galvanise public support for a proper investigation, relatives have said.
Speaking after the release of the Police Ombudsman's report into the 1972 atrocity which claimed the lives of nine people in the Co Londonderry village, survivors and relatives said they were "determined" to carry on their fight for justice.
The 26-page document by the ombudsman found that high-level talks between the then secretary of state and the Catholic church led to Fr James Chesney, a suspect in the attack, being moved to Donegal, escaping any investigation.
Londonderry councillor Mary Hamilton, who survived the triple bombings, said the report can be used "to galvanise public support" for justice.
"We cannot allow today's report to be the last investigation into Claudy," she told the News Letter.
"We have already seen what the ombudsman has been able to do – by uncovering this conspiracy, surely now we can use this as a platform to seek justice, or some form of formal inquiry.
"I am sure there will now be much more public support, after people read this shocking report. The lives of those lost in Claudy are no less valuable than those lost during Bloody Sunday," she added.
Colin McClelland said he was glad that "every single person" could now see the extent of the cover-up around the bombings which claimed the life of his great uncle James.
"I cannot take satisfaction from this report, in fact it is even more difficult now, to have it confirmed that the government, the Catholic church and the police stopped justice," he said.
"The only good thing to come out of today, is the fact that everyone will now see for themselves what happened – it will shock everyone."
Mr McClelland praised the work of the Police Ombudsman, but said many questions still remained.
"It is just so frustrating. There has been a lot of focus on Fr Chesney, but there were other people involved here, and we would have wanted to see those people named.
"We hope that we can use this as a platform, where we can go forward and seek not just an apology – because that is too late now, what we need is an inquiry.
"I know there has been so many atrocities, but the level of collusion here demands an inquiry."
Gordon Miller, who lost his 60-year-old father David as he went to the aid of those cut down in the first blast, said his over-riding emotion was one of anger.
"There wasn't one single thing in that report that we didn't already know," he said.
Mr Miller said the two-hour private briefing with the ombudsman ahead of the release of the report had proved "very difficult".
"The only way I can describe it was hell on earth. To actually see these documents, the real evidence where the government and the church covered up this, made everyone really angry.
"We also found out in the meeting that this priest went on being a terrorist after he was moved to Donegal – that was really sickening to think that more people suffered, even after Claudy."
Gordon felt there was "little hope" of any proper justice.
"It has been nearly 40 years – this report brings us no further to getting justice. That is what is so frustrating about today – it feels like this report has closed the case on Claudy."
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Sunday 12 February 2012
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