The Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland has upheld a complaint against the RUC linked to an attack on a man by officers more than 32 years ago, it was announced today.
Mr Sammy Devenny died three months after the incident in Derry but ombudsman Mrs Nuala O'Loan disclosed an investigation at the time could neither prove nor disprove the allegation that his death was the result of the attack.
She also announced it would not be possible after all this time to pursue a disciplinary action against the officers involved.
But the Ombudsman's Office had upheld a complaint by Mr Devenny's family that the RUC never communicated to them directly about the events of that night, April 19th, 1969, said Mrs O'Loan.
Mr Devenny was assaulted when police ran into his home after a group of young people. He died after suffering a heart attack on July 17th 1969 aged 42.
Today's announcement was the result of a three-month investigation by the Ombudsman's Office, which was established almost a year ago.
Central to the new investigation was a report written by Metropolitan Police Chief Supt Kenneth Drury in 1970 after being called in to conduct an independent inquiry.
The Drury report was able to establish that the attack on the Devenny family had been carried out by RUC officers but it was unable to identify those officers, the Ombudsman's Office disclosed.
Mrs O'Loan was able to look again at the complaint from the Devenny family because she believed the case to be "grave and exceptional".
"Hopefully the information we have been able to provide will be important in helping them come to terms with the events of 32 years ago," she said.
"I think it is also important that I draw attention to the fact that the investigation by Metropolitan Police officers concluded that at the time of the incident and since, the Devenny family were God-fearing, law-abiding citizens".
PA