4
November 2005:
THE
BARRON REPORT ON THE MURDER OF SEAMUS LUDLOW
Justice
for the Forgotten welcomes the publication of the Barron report into the
murder of Seamus Ludlow on 2 May 1976. We sincerely hope it is of some
assistance and comfort to his family as a first step in discovering the
truth into the death of their loved one.
The report raises
serious concerns not only for the Ludlow family but also for the
families and survivors of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings, the Dublin
bombings of 1972 and 1973, as well as the families of all the bombing
and shooting victims of this State of incidents that occurred in the
1970s.
The disclosure
that senior Gardaí gave a direction to the investigating officer to
abandon plans to have the suspects interviewed outside the jurisdiction
raises serious questions indeed. The 'only credible explanation' given
to Judge Barron by the Gardaí that it was done to avoid a situation
where Gardaí might feel obliged to reciprocate by allowing RUC officers
to attend interviews of suspects in this State, does not hold water.
There were
precedents for following such a course of action. For example, on 14
March 1973, a team of Garda officers interviewed three suspects in
Belfast and a fourth in Derry on the following day, for the murder of
Donegal couple, Oliver Boyce and Bríd Porter. Blood samples were also
taken from three of these suspects.
We look forward to
the public hearings before the Joint Oireachtas Committee in January
2006.
For further
details please contact:
Margaret Urwin,
Secretary: 01 855 43 00 / 087 22 37 338
