‘RAAD have no respect’ – Devine family
The 81 year-old mother of two Strabane IRA volunteers shot dead by the SAS has accused vigilante group Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) of showing a “lack of respect” to her family.
Patsy Devine made comments after a number of pipebomb attacks on her home in the last year, claiming RAAD were responsible for the attacks.
The pensioner, whose sons, Michael and David, were shot dead by the SAS in 1985, also said RAAD have refused requests to meet with her family to discuss the attacks.
Her remarks follow a call from West Tyrone Sinn Féin MP Pat Doherty for RAAD to stop using the name ‘republican.’
Mrs Devine said: “They have shown us a complete lack of respect. We have gone through intermediaries to set up a meeting with RAAD to talk about why they are attacking my family but they declined to meet us. When a meeting was eventually set up we got a call an hour before we were due to meet saying that they had decided not to meet the family,” she said.
Mrs Devine also said she has never received an explanation for the attack on her home. “No one has ever come and said why it happened. I think it is very disrespectful and agree with Pat Doherty that they are damaging the name of republicanism. They have no respect for republican families and no respect for republican dead,” she said.
The pensioner also said her family faced years of harrassment in the past. “From the time Michael and David were killed we faced harassment from the police and the British army. I never imagined that at this stage we would be facing harassment from people calling themselves republicans,” she said.
