Call for legacy obligations to be honoured

19 June 2019

SOUTH Down MLA Emma Rogan has called on the government to “honour its human rights and legacy obligations”.

The Sinn Fein politician, whose 34 year-old father Adrian was one of six men murdered in the UVF attack, was speaking ahead of last night’s candlelight vigil held outside the Heights Bar in Loughinisland to mark the 25th anniversary of the atrocity.

Barney Green (87), Daniel McCreanor (59), Malcolm Jenkinson (53), Eamon Byrne (39) and Patrick O’Hare (35) also died when a murder gang burst into the bar and began to fire indiscriminately. Five other men were wounded.

Ms Rogan repeated the need for the legacy bodies to be established in a human rights compliant manner and with proper funding in place so that all families can get truth and justice.

She said: “The British government needs to honour its human rights and legacy obligations. The mechanisms to deal with the past and provide the families of those bereaved with a process of truth recovery were agreed at Stormont House.

“It has been 25 years since my dad went to watch Ireland play Italy in a televised World Cup game.

“I, and the Loughinisland Justice Group, have campaigned for many years against state collusion and for truth and justice for our loved ones.

“Now thanks to our campaigning and the award-winning documentary No Stone Unturned the depth of collusion, the cover-ups, the failed investigations and continued attempts to hide the truth are now known.”

She continued: ”We now need justice and accountability from those in authority. This undignified denial of truth must end immediately. The British government must move now

to implement the legacy bodies and bring this injustice to an end.”

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