Massacre families take action

Massacre families take action

8 February 2012

FAMILIES of the Loughinisland massacre victims have launched a High Court challenge to the findings of a Police Ombudsman’s report into the Loyalist killings.

Lawyers have lodged judicial review papers claiming the findings were flawed, irrational and wrongly define collusion.

In June last year Ombudsman Al Hutchinson found failings in the original RUC investigation but stopped short of finding evidence of collusion between the killers and police.

Victims’ relatives suspect the RUC investigation was undermined in order to protect informants following the 1994 shooting in The Heights Bar.

A judge is expected to decide on the issue of legal aid funding following further submissions later this month.

Following a brief hearing on Friday, Paul Pierce, of Kevin R. Winters and Co. solicitors, said: “Our challenge to the Police Ombudsman’s report has been brought because of a number of significant failings in the investigation.

“These include those pointed out by the Criminal Justice Inspectorate.”