Dealing with the past is the responsibility of everyone

The terrible events of the 31^st July 1972 in Claudy have been the focus of attention over the past days.

The regret expressed by former Assistant Chief Constable Sam Kinkaid, on behalf of the PSNI, when he met with the families of those injured and killed, in December 2002, has not diminished in the intervening years.

At that meeting ACC Kinkaid briefed the families on the findings of a police review of the original investigation. Afterwards ACC Kinkaid said “it is clear that the relatives of those who died in the bomb attack in Claudy village and those who were injured have not received justice. I regret this very much and in particular that opportunities to arrest and interview all of the suspects were not taken."

I wholeheartedly agree with what ACC Kinkaid said. The Royal Ulster Constabulary didn’t always get it right, and the Police Service of Northern Ireland has made mistakes too.

We police in a very different context today, and this is in no way intended to make excuses for the past. Our aim is to deliver a personal, professional and protective police service, which ensures that the events in Claudy are not repeated.

No Police Service could ever say that they will always get it right. But it will not be for the want of trying. And it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the bravery and sacrifice of so many police officers and police staff who in the midst of the unrelenting violence of the 1970’s were killed or injured delivering a police service, trying to keep all communities safe.

In the months and years to come, there will no doubt be difficult and challenging times as Northern Ireland tries to reconcile itself with its past.

Through the establishment of the Historical Enquiries Team (HET), we are attempting to facilitate a process to recover the truth and ensure that those individuals who have questions receive the answers they seek, uncomfortable as those answers may be.

That work will continue. We would encourage anyone with information in relation to Claudy, or indeed any historical event linked to the Troubles, to come forward to the HET.