14/05/2014

Dublin-Monaghan Bombs Victims To Sue British Government

Victims and relatives of the people killed in the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan bombings are suing the British government in Belfast, claiming the attacks were carried out by loyalist with government collusion.

33 people, including a pregnant woman were killed and another 300 people were injured when three bombs in Dublin and another one in Monaghan exploded without warning on 17 May, 1974.

Nearly 40 years after the attacks the families are taking a civil action in the High Court in Belfast in the names of Derek Byrne, who was seriously injured in one of Dublin bombings and Paddy Askin, whose father, Paddy was murdered in Monaghan blast.

The deaths were the biggest loss of life in one day in the Troubles period, nobody has ever been charged in connection with the attacks.

It is presumed that the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) carried out the attacks with the knowledge and assistance of elements of the British security and intelligent services in NI.

Belfast lawyer Kevin Winters, who is working with the families, explained that the action is being taken against the Ministry of Defence, the PSNI Chief Constable and the Northern Ireland Secretary.

He said: "The families for many years have made the case consistently that the authorities went out of their way to protect individuals, suspects who were involved in these killings” and added that: "At least two known agents were protected and given, if you like, a de facto immunity from prosecution. That's a very serious allegation, it's an allegation which has never been ventilated in a proper criminal process or proper investigation."

(CVS)

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