The sisters of murdered Belfast man Robert McCartney today appealed for funds to fight a civil action in a bid to bring his killers to justice.
Gemma, Catherine and Paula McCartney were in Brussels to meet European politicians and keep up the campaign following their 33-year-old brother's stabbing after a row in a bar in Belfast city centre on January 30th.
After a high profile St Patrick's Day trip to Washington the three sisters were meeting Euro MPs and the presidents of the European Parliament and the European Commission. Two other McCartney sisters could not make the Brussels trip because of a shortage of funds.
Today MEPs promised to do all they could to back their bid to find their brother's killers. In a series of meetings at European Parliament headquarters the sisters retold the tale of his murder, and they explained how the fight for justice was now taking a physical as well as an emotional toll on the family.
"A conspiracy of silence has built up around Robert's murder and it is as strong as it was on the day he was killed," Gemma told a packed meeting of the 202-strong Socialist Group. "Ten weeks down the line and there is still nothing but silence. But this murder must not be allowed to be put down to the political situation in Northern Ireland."
Catherine McCartney told the MEPs: "There is an ongoing pattern in which individuals who were in that bar on that night are taken in for questioning and say nothing.
"They exercise their right to silence and they sit there staring at the walls.
"This is not about the political situation in Northern Ireland, this is about human rights and justice. We are now going to have to go down the civil path to get justice, which means funding to pay for a civil action lawyer."
The Labour Party MEP for Dublin, Pronsias De Rossa, said it was clear that the 70 people who were in the bar on the night Mr McCartney was murdered were being intimidated and feared they themselves would become victims of psychopaths if they came forward.
"This is a very difficult situation which is not uncommon in Northern Ireland. I know these sisters do not like to be considered brave, but it is because of their bravery that this appalling situation is being brought to the attention of the international public." He said he believed offers of support for the sisters in their continuing campaign could be considered in time for a debate in the European Parliament later this month.
The Social Group leader Martin Schulz said the family could be assured of total moral support - and MEPs would now be looking at the question of funding to help win justice for the McCartney family.
The leader of Britain's Labour MEPs Gary Titley praised the sisters for their "dignity" in pursuing the case. "This is a straightforward case of cold-blooded murder, the consequence of a political process in Northern Ireland being destroyed and undermined by criminals and gangsters, because we have been so long in conflict in Northern Ireland that the political process is being used as a cover in all sections of society - a cover for criminals and psychopaths," he said.
But as the sisters moved on to their next meeting Mr Titley raised doubts about formal funding from European Parliament coffers to fight a civilian action against the alleged murderers of one man. Whatever the merits of the McCartney case, he said, there may be no financial mechanism to provide such money.
However, the McCartney sisters had generated sympathy and support with their Brussels' visit and could expect personal contributions from MEPs themselves.
This afternoon the three sisters were pressing their case with European Parliament President Josep Borrell before going on to European Commission headquarters for a meeting with Commission President Jose Manuel Borroso.
Yesterday Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea said he believed it unlikely that anyone would ever be brought to justice for the murder.
A 31-year-old man questioned by detectives in connection with the murder was released on Monday night without charge. He was arrested after presenting himself at a Belfast police station with his solicitor.
The IRA expelled three of its members allegedly involved in the fatal attack, while Sinn Féin suspended seven of its members. Police investigating the incident have questioned a total of 12 men, but so far no one has been charged with the murder.