Relatives for Justice Director Mark Thompson said;
“Theresa Villiers’ comments expose a purely self-serving political approach to the past that seeks to divert and shield the British government from its legal obligations concerning State violence and collusion.
“The propaganda myth that the State is only responsible for 10 percent of all killings throws up two key points; it ignores totally the reality of collusion that when factored into the equation accounts for the State being culpable for approximately a third of all killings. And that is only what we know at this point without a truth process.
“Secondly there has been no proper accounting for State violence and collusion and all those affected by this violence live with the legacy of denial where impunity continues.
“This past number of weeks demonstrates that the agenda of an old guard approach within the PSNI, NIO and DOJ is very much alive concerning the past – an agenda that continually pursues non-State actors to the conflict whist continuing to protect their own within State forces. This is unacceptable.
“Families have repeatedly asked why there has been no arrests of British soldiers involved in Bloody Sunday, MRF or former Special Branch involved in collusion and murder. This stands in stark contrast to other arrests.
“Within the PSNI there exists a Legacy Unit that is staffed and run by former RUC Special Branch officers who were rehired after retiring with generous severance packages and who are unaccountable to the Police Ombudsman. This Legacy Unit determines all matters concerning the past. We also have a Chief Constable who has totally abdicated his responsibilities by facilitating an RUC agenda within the PSNI concerning the past. It is in this vacuum that former Special Branch and spooks control and determine how the past is policed.
“Villiers statement must be viewed in this context.
“The only thing Theresa Villiers got right was that there should be an accountable process to deal with the past. However, from her comments it appears she may be of the understanding that doesn’t apply to her government.”ENDS
