POLICE OMBUDSMAN Al Hutchinson has been forced into a damaging U-turn over his investigation of the UVF bombing of a north Belfast pub which killed 15 people and injured another 16.
Relatives of those who died in McGurk’s bar in December 1971 sharply criticised Mr Hutchinson’s handling of their complaints that the RUC did not properly investigate the atrocity. Mr Hutchinson’s findings were circulated to media outlets including The Irish Times under embargo on Thursday before the planned publication yesterday.
However, Mr Hutchinson withdrew his report in the face of criticism by some relatives, assisted by human rights lobby groups the Pat Finucane Centre and British Irish Rights Watch. They said his findings appeared contradictory and contained errors and inaccuracies.
Among the errors were basic mistakes in the lists of the dead and injured, as well as the date of the atrocity. They also questioned the conclusion that the RUC was not to blame for the circulation of reports at the time that the bombing was an “own goal” by the IRA.
This was despite the discovery of evidence which suggests a deliberate attempt to blame the IRA for the attack, instead of the UVF.
Relatives believe the RUC helped to maintain claims made by the British army that the bomb that destroyed the bar was being assembled at or transported from McGurk’s bar by the IRA to another unknown target. Two years ago, Paul Goggins, the last direct rule minister to handle justice powers in Northern Ireland before devolution earlier this year, apologised on behalf of the British government for the untrue rumours circulated in the immediate aftermath of the bombing.
Relatives of those who were murdered and public representatives praised the decision to withdraw the controversial report, and the announcement by Mr Hutchinson that he is soon to hold his first meeting with the families.
He apologised for the shortcomings, but denied the issue was a resignation matter.
“I have said before today, and it has always been my philosophy, if we’re doing wrong then we admit that and we set about correcting it. That’s the stage where I’m at now,” he said.
Admitting mistakes in dealing directly with the families, he added: “We didn’t do it very well in this case and we’re regrouping and learning, and admit that mistake, and set about to correct it. We’re in that process of dialogue and we’ll see where that goes.”
Relatives of the murdered who raised their concerns on Thursday welcomed Mr Hutchinson’s decision to withdraw his findings and to arrange meetings with them.