Police top brass decline to answer questions on ex-officer 'Sean' and his allegations of sectarianism
The PSNI has declined to answer questions about a former officer who has alleged sectarianism within the force.
The force refuses to elaborate on comments made on the subject by chief constable Jon Boutcher at last week’s meeting of the Policing Board.
However, those comments from Mr Boutcher had prompted confusion, with the former head of the PSNI’s discipline branch Jon Burrows saying what he told the board “makes no sense”.
The whole affair dates back to March, when the Belfast Telegraph ran a front page article based on an interview with now-retired former officer ‘Sean’.
Sean was a member of the Tactical Support Group (or TSG – the PSNI’s riot squad), and said that he had encountered anti-Catholic bigotry within the ranks during his time there, including hearing the phrase “fenian b******s”.
His allegations have been strenuously denied by scores of his former colleagues.
Then last Thursday the chief constable gave an update to the Policing Board about the matter.
He said that he had personally met Sean, and that he was a “thoroughly decent” man.
But Mr Boutcher also said that “I've no concerns that the blacks [his TSG unit], the officers, his colleagues, acted in a sectarian way towards him”, adding that “I cannot explain the article in the newspaper" (where he made his allegations).
The chief constable also told the meeting "there is no legal case or ongoing investigation" into the alleged sectarianism (it had been reported that a suit for damages was in the offing).
Jon Burrows told the News Letter: "The chief constable’s statement is to be welcomed on one hand, because he stated clearly that Sean had dropped his legal claim and that he had satisfied himself that there was no sectarian behaviour whatsoever in this TSG.
“However, given that the allegations were very serious and specific it is hard to reconcile the chief constable’s stating that Sean is a thoroughly decent man with the fact that he is also saying he is satisfied that what Sean alleged in the Belfast Telegraph did not occur.”
This point was put to the PSNI.
It has now responded by saying: “The Chief Constable outlined his position at the board and we have nothing further to add.”
Mr Burrows also added that the situation has been “muddied” further by a statement attributed to his lawyer Kevin Winters saying that while Sean stands by his allegations, there was no evidence of “overt” sectarianism.
“This makes no sense because Sean had alleged extremely blatant overt sectarianism had taken place,” said Mr Burrows.
Mr Winters told the News Letter “Sean’s narrative hasn't changed”.
Mr Winters also said that the damages case had never been formally lodged, so could not have been “dropped” – and that a decision on whether to pursue it has been “deferred”.
“The meeting with the Chief Constable was private and confidential therefore we are not at liberty to comment on what was discussed suffice to say that the engagement was productive and insightful on steps to be taken to address any allegations of discrimination generally,” said Mr Winters.