Student's murderer goes free in Belfast

A Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officer, who admitted shooting dead Tyrone student Kevin McGovern, was acquitted of murder by the Belfast Crown Court.

Judge Nicholson said RUC man Timothy Hanley had committed a “tragic error” but no crime. He said that Hanley had mistakenly and honestly acted in self-defence when he shot the unarmed teenager in the back.

Dr Sean McGovern, brother of the victim, said he was “disappointed but not surprised” by the officer's acquittal.

“Our private tragedy has become a public travesty for all to behold”, said Dr McGovern. The judge's decision endorsed the RUC's “Dirty Harry” policy, where you can shoot first and think about why you did it later.

The Relatives for Justice group reacted angrily to Judge Nicholson's decision. Martin Finucane said, “The Royal Ulster Constabulary and British soldiers have been responsible for killing 357 people since 1969. Out of all these killings, only 33 prosecutions have been brought, of which four have resulted in convictions. The feeling among families of the victims and people in the nationalist community is that the British crown forces receive institutional protection, which is then rubber stamped by judicial decisions.”

Paul O'Connor, speaking for the Pat Finucane Centre, said, “A clear pattern has emerged in judicial decisions which amounts to a total amnesty for members of the crown forces where civilian deaths are involved.” (Pat Finucane was a civil rights lawyer, murdered by loyalist death squads.) [From An Phoblacht-Republican News.]

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