Letter from the Chief Constable
THIS letter is from the Chief Constable outlining his stance on the Historical Enquiries Team.
I am writing to clarify a number of issues regarding the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) and their critical work of investigating the past and supporting families. I am concerned that, as evident from some of the subsequent reporting, families may have the impression that the HET is being immediately ‘axed’ or that an arbitrary decision has been made simply to stop investigating. This is not true and has led to unnecessary anxiety. At the same time, this is a very difficult matter and if I have not made my intentions clear enough then I do apologise to all the families affected.
The HET was originally established for a period of five years and was due to close in March 2011. This would have left many cases unresolved and so, following a detailed review by the HET itself, I am satisfied it needs further time to complete its work. I believe another three years from now is needed to carry out the thorough investigations necessary for all the families involved. Whilst three years appears realistic, I was clear that the time could be extended further if necessary. Furthermore, in order to free up the HET to conduct these investigations and meet the unfulfilled expectations of families, I have also deployed an entire PSNI major investigation team, literally at a cost of many millions of pounds, to deal with the more complex cases.
Nevertheless, I do have a duty to recognise that funding into the future is likely to be both tight and challenging. I have Human Rights obligations to protect people from becoming victims, and to deal with difficult issues such as the monitoring of dangerous offenders, drug dealing, child trafficking to name just a few. The money spent in dealing with the past cannot be spent twice, and I have to balance today and tomorrow’s needs with bringing resolution to the misery families have suffered in the past. I trust the approach I am taking is genuinely both caring and pragmatic.
In the absence of any consensus around the past, the HET is fulfilling its obligations with real integrity and compassion. I would encourage all families of victims to have confidence in their motivation and professionalism.
Yours Sincerely
Matt Baggott
Chief Constable
