Trevor Ringland: Republicans insist on pursuing their grievances against the state so we must now get justice for terror murders too

Whenever the so-called ‘Hooded Men’ case comes back into the public spotlight, I can’t help but think about many others who were ‘hooded’ during our recent troubled past.
A ruling by the Court of Appeal in Belfast last week said that there was a legitimate expectation of an investigation into the treatment of the Hooded Men. One of the men, Francis McGuigan, speaks to the media after that hearing. Trevor Ringland says: "Not to take away from any wrong done to the group known as the Hooded Men, in the hierarchy of wrongs that need to be investigated, it must be well down the list"A ruling by the Court of Appeal in Belfast last week said that there was a legitimate expectation of an investigation into the treatment of the Hooded Men. One of the men, Francis McGuigan, speaks to the media after that hearing. Trevor Ringland says: "Not to take away from any wrong done to the group known as the Hooded Men, in the hierarchy of wrongs that need to be investigated, it must be well down the list"
A ruling by the Court of Appeal in Belfast last week said that there was a legitimate expectation of an investigation into the treatment of the Hooded Men. One of the men, Francis McGuigan, speaks to the media after that hearing. Trevor Ringland says: "Not to take away from any wrong done to the group known as the Hooded Men, in the hierarchy of wrongs that need to be investigated, it must be well down the list"

They never had an opportunity to remove their hoods before being brutally executed, most often by the IRA.

On occasions, to add to this horror, their bodies were hidden and have yet to be returned to their loved ones. It’s recognised that they were victims of torture, of a type that is not disputed by any court.

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That is not to take away from any wrong done to the group known as the ‘Hooded Men’. Though, in the hierarchy of wrongs that need to be investigated, it must be well down the list.

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Letter to the editor

If our courts are suggesting that such matters also now require police investigation, all the tiers where the priority is greater should be dealt with first.

The most pressing task is to deal with murders. I am still waiting to hear how our legal system intends to prioritise approximately 700 unsolved murders of members of the security forces, despite being told a response was being prepared.

After murder, we have serious injuries, attempted murders and then less serious injuries, which could still have resulted in deaths.

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The republican movement was responsible for 60% of murders and, in all probability, a greater percentage of these lower tiered crimes.

We’re told that ‘selective justice’ is not an option. Therefore, it is necessary to deal with legacy issues properly and thoroughly.

It could have been done differently, but the republican movement in particular has insisted on pursuing its grievances against the state, because its political strategy relies upon rekindling the hatred and divisions of the past.

As we can’t ignore its role in perpetrating the majority of crimes, while holding others to account, there is little choice but to insist upon justice in all cases.

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Strangely, in the recent Spotlight programme on the Troubles, Tommy Gorman seemed to recognise the waste of life and wrong that caused violence here. That attitude could help open up a debate about how we deal with the past differently, in a way that frees up future generations from the legacy of hatred in our society.

We should never repeat the conflict of the past and we should keep focussed at all times on building relations and breaking down barriers in our society.

That means challenging those who want to chain us to the flawed ideologies that led to so much tragedy, whether they’re doing it through the ballot box or the law courts.

Trevor Ringland, Holywood