From: holohan@mark.enet.dec.com (Mark Holohan)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.celtic,soc.culture.british
Subject: Update on the Caraher shooting
Date: 9 Apr 92 12:39:37 GMT
Article-I.D.: e2big.1992Apr9.123937.6164
Reply-To: holohan@mark.enet.dec.com (Mark Holohan)
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation



                          Caraher Shootings Update
                          by Sandy Carlson (Belfast)


Two Royal Marine Commandos were charged in February for murdering 20
year-old Fergal Caraher and attempting to murder 24 year-old Michael
Caraher on December 30, 1990, in Cullyhanna, South Armagh.  Richard
Elkington (23) and Andrew Callaghan (20) both responded "Not Guilty",
after a 5-minute hearing and were remanded until March 4.  The charging
followed Belfast barrister Reginald Weir's review of the RUC's file, on
the request of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

At the time of the incident, the British armed forces alleged that the
Carahers drove through a checkpoint and injured a soldier, but Michael
Caraher, who was driving, was never charged for driving through a
checkpoint or for injuring a soldier.  In addition, eye witnesses and
family members have consistently denied this allegation.  Michael
Caraher testified at the June 1991 Public Inquiry into the shooting
that, at the checkpoint, Fergal asked, "Are we right?". Then, when the
brothers drove out, soldiers opened fire.

The report of the Public Inquiry, published January 1992, called for the
prosecution of the soldiers involved.  Margaret Caraher, Fergal's widow,
has said, "We feel that this decision [to prosecute] is largely due to
the pressure by the Cullyhanna Justice Group and the Inquiry (citizen
organized inquiry) held by them and the Irish National Congress; the
publishing of their report; and international pressure placed on the
British government and the authorities.  The Irish National Congress
points out that a recent Congressional hearing into shoot-to-kill heard
evidence from the Caraher family.  "That could also have had something
to do with it, as the British came out of it very badly," said an INC
spokesperson.

However, Peter John Caraher, the brothers' father, said, "From
happenings over the past two decades and because of the way we have been
treated by the authorities since this shooting, we have very little
confidence in British justice."

There is a widely-held belief that the British operate a shoot-to-kill
policy throughout northern Ireland.  According to Amnesty
International's June 1991 report: "339 people have been shot dead by the
security forces in Northern Ireland...many of these in disputed
circumstances.  Since 1969, 27 members of the security forces have been
prosecuted, 19 found not guilty, one found guilty of manslaughter and
given a suspended sentence.  Private Ian Thain was convicted of murder,
given a life sentence, released after two years and three months, and
reinstated into the British Army."
 
Thus, whether or not justice will be done in this case remains to be
seen.

 
--
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  Mark Holohan, DEC, USA        "Character is what you are in the dark" - BB
  holohan@epik.enet.dec.com
  
  The opinions expressed are not necessarily the opinions of 
  Digital Equipment Corporation.

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Newsgroups: soc.culture.celtic