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A marzo il rapporto del Police Ombudsman sul massacro di Loughinisland

March date for Loughinisland report

The long-awaited report into the 1994 Loughinisland killings will be published by the Police Ombudsman’s office at the end of next month.

Loughinisland | The Heights BarSix men – including an elderly 87-year-old man – were killed when two UVF gunmen sprayed The Heights Bar in the Co Down village with 200 bullets in June 1994.

Five others were injured in the shooting.

Families of the victims of the loyalist massacre met Police Ombudsman Al Hutchinson on Friday to express their concern over the delay in publishing the report.

They have consistently maintained that there was security force collusion and that a number of agents working for the police were involved in the atrocity.

Speaking after the meeting, Sinn Féin South Down MLA Caitríona Ruane said:

“The Loughinisland families have carried themselves with the utmost dignity and courage since that tragic night.

“I welcome the fact that after a needlessly ling delay the families were informed that the Report into the Loughlinisland Massacre will be handed over to the families in mid-March.”

SDLP Leader and South Down MP Margaret Ritchie said: “The families of those murdered have waited nearly 17 years for information about how and why their loved ones were murdered in such a barbaric way.

“I hope that this report will reveal why this happened, and bring to light any evidence of collusion, MI5 involvement and, importantly, recommend the next steps in relation to prosecutions and obtaining justice for the families and their loved ones.”

Last year, a file was sent to the Public Prosecution Service to consider whether to press charges against a police officer involved in the case. He was alleged to have helped the UVF gunmen involved in the massacre.

The reservist, who was suspended by the PSNI, had been questioned over perverting the course of justice and helping the gang make its getaway after the shooting.

The decision was taken not to proceed with the prosecution.

In a statement, the PPS said there was “insufficient evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction of the individual reported.”

Last year, UTV obtained details of the initial findings of the independent investigation by the Police Ombudsman.

They showed that he considered there to have been major failings in the original investigation.

Details obtained by UTV included claims that not enough effort was made to identity the killers, that police failed to speak to people of interest, and that key forensic evidence was destroyed.

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René Querin

Di professione grafico e web designer, sono appassionato di trekking e innamorato dell'Irlanda e della sua storia. Insieme ad Andrea Varacalli ho creato e gestisco Les Enfants Terribles.

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