WILL the DUP meet the challenge that the father of UVF murder victim Raymond McCord has issued to them? In his call for equality, Mr McCord seems to imply that the DUP has done more for a republican family that fell victim to IRA members, than Protestant victims of the loyalist UVF. Maybe, given that police informers are alleged to have killed Mr McCord’s son and Andrew Robb, there just isn’t enough political capital for them to make.A new team was appointed to investigate Raymond McCord Jr’s murder last month, and while Mr McCord Sr refused to ask southern politicians for help, perhaps the words of another father whose son was killed by terrorists struck a chord. Michael Gallagher had told him that it was better to challenge those in authority to help.
But how will the DUP respond?
If they don’t help McCord, they will stand accused by nationalists of using the McCartney murder solely as a means of bashing Sinn Fein, and unionists would be able accuse them of not representing Protestant victims of terrorism.
The DPP has said that no-one is likely to ever be charged with the murders of Andrew Robb and David McIlwaine, despite previous arrests – and despite the emergence of new evidence.
Andrew Robb’s mother Ann told the Portadown Times:
Not one politician has helped me, yet all sides are – as they should – are helping the McCartneys. There are real parallels here, but our cause doesn’t seem to be as fashionable.
“The wrong people were killed that night, and the wrong information about the two boys was fed to the Press – yet we haven’t had a modicum of justice.
“But we won’t give up until the police do their job and take the suspected killers to court.”
Paul McIlwaine has also complained that mainstream unionists have done little to help, and he believes there is enough evidence to proceed with a case.
However, the lack of will to tackle the murder investigation has left him with few options.
“My only conclusion is that a police informer is involved, and that is why we have hit a brick wall during these past five years of mental and emotional torture.”
It stinks of a cover-up.
Will the DUP take on the PSNI?