Other parties gave similar commitments, yet we see the election of persons belonging to parties inextricably linked to paramilitary organisations being elected to civic offices in Fermanagh, Belfast, Londonderry, Newtownabbey and elsewhere with the votes of several other political parties. The ongoing demands for the disbandment of the RUC by nationalists and the scaling down of policing resources by a weak government has resulted in the paramilitary organisations strengthening their grip in many communities and the rule of law being compromised. The statistics provided in the report are quite shocking. There has been an average of 90 beatings per year since 1973. Exiling is a way of paramilitaries exacting their form of justice without the same outcry from the community as beatings and shootings.
Most beatings are males in their twenties.
Twenty five percent of those attacked are under 20 and kids as young as 13 or 14 have received beatings. He suffered a shattered elbow, broken fingers, deep puncture wounds to his legs, cuts and multiple bruising. After the attack a gun was put to his head and he was ordered out of the country. Yet we have those parties inextricably linked to paramilitary organisations referring to the rights of children and calling for the appointment of a Commissioner for Children. The government's continued indifference to these ongoing paramilitary activities must be condemned by all democrats.