Culture of non co-operation with police in Donagh, says victim
Editorial Department • Published 12 Jan 2012 13:00
Politicians should be doing more to change the "culture" of non co-operation with the police in the community of Donagh, a victim of abuse at the hands of the McDermott brothers has said.
Mr. Michael Connolly, who had been known by the pseudonym Martin until he recently waived his right to anonymity, is one of six victims of the McDermott brothers to give evidence in court.
"There are 15 to 20 people in counselling, besides the six and one other. To my knowledge none of the rest have come forward and given a statement to police. That is tangible evidence to the fact that the community is not communicating with the police or have the trust. That lies fairly and squarely on the shoulders of those who have discouraged it in the first place," he said.
"A small rural community like Donagh has been strongly discouraged from co-operating with the justice system in the past. This would appear to be a culture that has become ingrained within small communities and it is very evident that little has changed in the last 30 to 40 years. Political representatives in an area like Donagh should be doing more to promote integration and legal protection for all," Mr. Connolly said.
His comments come today (Thursday) as the Department of Justice launches a feasibility study into the introduction of Community Impact Statements to Northern Ireland.
The study has been conducted under the recommendation of the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice, Dr Michael Maguire, after the investigation of the handling of the circumstances surrounding the McDermott case in Donagh.
There was a public outcry when two of the McDermott brothers returned home to Donagh after their court hearing in June 2010. The two brothers -- James and Owen Roe -- had been deemed mentally unfit for trial. The jury heard the evidence and determined that they had abused children. They were placed under a Supervision and Treatment Order (STO). They are presently away from their home on a voluntary basis.
Another brother John McDermott was jailed for nine years for 35 offences. He was jailed for a further six months for offences against another schoolboy. Another brother Peter Paul McDermott, also facing charges, hanged himself before his trial was heard.
"One reservation I have about the use of community impact statements is that it will need the full co-operation of the communities for the aforementioned to be effective," Mr Connolly said.
He added: "Despite my campaign over these last couple of years to have the chicken houses in Donagh removed and taken into community ownership, a review of the Mental Health Act, the introduction of community and victim impact statements introduced into Northern Ireland's justice system, I have received no support from Donagh's political representatives or from the party to whom they belong. In two years I have had one meeting with a Sinn Fein representative from the area to which I have had no response to any of the issues raised".
"Many in communities, like me, who had no legal protection in the past, want our children to live in a society where there is a fair, accessible and accountable justice system for all. This is my hope for the future," he said.
Mr. Connolly said he had been briefed on the feasibility study and would "very much welcome the introduction of community impact statements".
"The introduction of impact statements will be a useful tool in building a strong relationship between communities, their leaders and law enforcement agencies.
"It will bring focus on those who commit serious offences within the community and prevent crimes against children which in the past have fallen below the radar of the authorities especially in rural communities such as Donagh and it will also be instrumental in crime prevention. This concept can be applied across many areas of the criminal justice system.
"Impact statements will empower victims of crime and the communities in which they live and also give them the recognition and the voice they deserve. For those responsible for serious crime against vulnerable members of our community it may give them the opportunity for reflective atonement," he said.
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 12 Jan 12
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