Latest RAAD attack timed deliberately

A paramilitary-style shooting in Londonderry was deliberately timed ahead of a rally against a dissident republican group, one of its organisers has claimed.

Last night an 18-year-old man was shot in both.  He was treated in Altnagelvin Hospital before being discharged.

Davy McCauley of “RAAD - Not In Our Name”, said he was “disgusted”. Davy believes that the attack was deliberately timed ahead of a rally he has organised against the dissident republican group.

“This is their attempt to say they won’t go away and that rallies won’t do any good,” he said.

“After the last rally we had, Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) were forced to rescind two death threats they had issued.  This shooting will not deter us and hopefully will bring more people out onto the streets.”

Chief Superintendent Stephen Martin said the attack was “carried out by a criminal gang who set themselves up unlawfully as judge, jury and administers of summary punishment”.

“They have brutalised members of their community and inflicted terrible injuries, much of those on young people over the last number of years,” he said.

“We have seen how they have carried out assaults and attacks on those who have raised their voice against them. This year we have seen their thirst for power go further when they claimed responsibility for murder.  They seek to intimidate and bully through the threat of violence and it’s time they listened to the community, stop what they are doing and disband.”

Pat Ramsey (SDLP MLA) also stated that he believed the Derry-based paramilitaries were behind the attack.

“We do know that in the past people have been asked to attend at a certain time and spot,” he said.

“One can only imagine that given the hallmarks here, that this is another shooting by Republican Action Against Drugs.”

Not just guns!

After submitting another Freedom of information request we have learnt that punishment attacks are just as straight forward as using a gun to shoot someone.  In fact, some groups, loyalist in particularly, are much more diverse in their choice of weapons.

Republicans mostly use use firearms which arent as damaging as some other choices of weapons.  However, they have recently moved onto using shoot guns which are more serious in the injuries which they inflick upon the victim.  By using a shoot gun these Republican groups are giving the victim only two courses of what could be the result of the attack and they are;
- They’ll die
- They’ll lose a limp

Loyalist group however are much more ‘creative’ in their choices of weapons as you can see from the list below;
- hammers
- machetes
- breeze blocks
- golf clubs
- pick-axes
- batons
- hatchets
- bricks
- brush shafts
- crow bars
- cudgels
- screwdrivers
- metal bars
- metal rods
- metal chairs
- kerb stone
- samuri swords
- sewer rods
- spades
- tasers
- taarring and feathering
- baseball bats (including nail-studded bats)
The weapons on this list can actually have a much more damaging effect on the victim as very often they shatter their bones and make the reality of walking more impossible.

What are you’re opinions of these? Should this be allowed to continue?

Shocking poll results on Nolan!!

Last night on his TV programme Stephen Nolan carried out a poll of between 3,300 to 3,500. The results of the poll where as follow;

Yes punishment attacks are justified - 58%
No punishment attacks are never justified - 42%

Watch the show below ... results at the end;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b019lxwr/The_Nolan_Show_Episode_1/

YESSSSS .... We got on Nolan!!!!

Last night Paul Smyth and myself were on The Nolan Show for a live debate around punishment attacks.

On the panel was Paul Smyth from Public Achievement, Jim Wilson a former UVF member and George Hamiliton the Assistant Chief Constable of the PSNI.

During the debate Jim Wilson didnt really seem to know what side he was one .... saying one minute he condemned it and the next minute he tried to justify it.  So what side is he actually on?

Stephen Nolan also critised George Hamilton on the $% clearance rate of such attacks and tried to get him to set a better target for next year but Mr Hamilton refused.  How successful do you think they will be in increasing this rate? I sit just the responsibility of the police or should other deapartments and bodies be take responsibility as well?

Stephen also done a publuc poll (results at the end of the show) throughout the show which produced some shocking results.  Some 3,300 - 3,500 responded to the poll which 58% says that they AGREED with punishment attacks.

What are your views on the debate and the poll?

You can watch the full programme below;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b019lxwr/The_Nolan_Show_Episode_1/

Punishment Attacks are the feature of The Nolan Show TWO days in a row!!!!

The Chief Constable, Matt Baggott, was on The Nolan Show on Friday 20th April to talk about policing issues and up came the issue of punishment attacks.

Matt Baggott said that he belived that politicans need to do more in the areas that more socially deprived.  He also vaguely talked about some of his plans to battle the problem of punishment attacks.  Some of these include; a hotline, talking to community groups, a review of cases and a new initative centered around community confidence in community policing.  He claims a quarter of a billion pounds will be invested in dealing with paramilities,  but how much of this will be put into punishment attacks?

He also described such attacks as “unacceptable”, an “obscenity” and a gross violation of people’s human rights.  Matt Baggott plans to go back and look at past tests.  He stated that he wants to lock up those who are repsonsible, even if its not for the punishment attacks. 

Baggott then went on to say that the police and the justice system in Northern Ireland are fully capable of bring police to justice and so poeple shouldn’t need to replie on paramilitaries.  But are they really? After all most supporters of punishment attacks that we have spoken to have stated that communities turn to paramilitaries because the police and justice system are failing them.

Baggott also claimed he cannot target the treat of paramilities without the help of MI5 ... So where are MI5 why haven’t they already been called in to help?

You can listen to the full interview below;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b01g617g

Nolan also focused on punishement attacks again on Monday 23rd April.

Public Achievement Director, Paul Smyth, appeared on The Nolan Show to express our concerns around the issue of punishement attacks. 

Paul Smyth mentioned the previous interview he had done with Paul Maskey in which Maskey stated that at one point in the past he approved of such attacks in the past.  However, on Friday’s Nolan Show, Paul Maskey stated that punishement attacks where never a solution.  So what view does he actually back?

Nolan also had a victim talking to him on the show who said that they treatment from the hospital staff was disgusting and that he felt like they were judging him even though they didn’t know why he was shot.  He also stated that he knows exactly who did it but couldn’t go to the police because him and his family have to live in the area and that he would have been killed if he did.  However, surprisingly the victim says that he does not blame those who carried out the attack as they were doing what they were told and if they disobeyed they would have been punished.  So could the police and Department of Justice do more to protect victims and their families so that they can come forward?

You can listen to the full interview below;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b01gh8x2

Punishment Attacks on the Agenda of NIPB Annual Human Rights Report!!!

The Northern Ireland Policing Board have made punishment attacks a focus of the Human Rights Report of 2011. 

They described how police were either unwilling to intervene or unwelcome in most of the communities where these attacks take place.  It also points out that the Police Act 2000 gives police officers the general duty to protect lives.

The Human Rights Report also identifies the section rate as ‘worryingly low’  and insists that the measures in place be reviewed and adapted to increase the detection rate of Punishment Attacks.

Reccomendation 16 lays out what changes need to be made in order to address the issue of punishment attacks;
“The PSNI should review the available data and policy framework relevant to punishment attacks and consider what further measures are required to protect persons for such attacks.  In particular, the PSNI should consider the particular vulnerability of children and young people and develop a strategy for addressing attacks on children and young people.  The PSNI should report to the Human Rights and Professional Standards Committee within 3 months of the publication of this Human Rights Annual Report on the progress made and thereafter within 12 months of the publication of this report on the final strategy.”

Yet another attack!!

Over the past 6 weeks there have been a spate of attacks, with the most recent of these being in Derry/Londonderry.

At 7.30pm on Tuesday evening a man was abducted in a car from Ferguson Street.  He was then shot in the lower right leg.

He is now in a stable position after receiving surgery at Altnagelvin Hospital.

Nolan gets tore into Chief Super Intendant!!!

On Monday 1st November a Police spokesman appeared on the Nolan Radio show on BBC Radio Ulster to talk about using 15-17 years to purchase alcohol to catch businesses selling to underage children.

Throughout the interview it was highlighted by Nolan and listeners that using these tactics would leave the young people vulnerable and open to ‘punishment’ attacks.  Nolan then got tore into the spokesman about the current clearance for punishment attacks.

Chief Super Intendant said it makes no difference and it is “child abuse”.

Listen to the full interview on the link below and let us know your thoughts on this ... Will this increase young people’s risks of falling victim to ‘punishment’ attacks.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b007cpsh

Policing Board against Punishment Attacks!

The Northern Ireland Policing Board have just released a statement saying they are against any form of Punishment Attacks.

This statement has come after Campaign Leader, Una Crossen, appeared on Talkback last Tuesday to highlight the issue of Punishment Attacks and also our campaign to end them.  Whilst on the radio Una highlighted an interview done with Alex Maskey back in May in which he states that he believes that Punishment Attacks were at one point acceptable and ‘empowering’ to communities.  At the time of this interview Alex Maskey was still on the Policing Board and was also unaware that the clearance rate for punishment attacks is only 4%.

Watch the full interview here:
http://wimps.tv/video/alex-maskey-sinn-fein

Debbie Waters who is currently on the Policing Board was also on Talkback and assured Una that this was not the view of the present policing board and stated that she seen these attacks on young people as child abuse.  In light of these event the Policing Board has released an official statement saying that they are against punishment attacks. 

Committee Chair Conall McDevitt MLA said:

“Almost half of these vile attacks are carried out against young people in our communities. This is a serious human rights issue and the victims of these crimes have exactly the same right to justice as anyone else.

Lets hope that they will take action on this and work with WIMPS.tv to end Punishment Attacks altogether.

Political Support

Just emailed all Politicians and Councillors in the Greater Belfast area ... Let’s see if any of our politicians or councillors are willing to support our campaign to end ‘punishment Attacks’!!! :)

WIMPS.tv mentioned in Assembly Debate

In a debate in the Assembly yesterday Basil McCrea MLA mentioned WIMPS.tv. It’s on the Assembly’s Hansard report.  You can read it here.

Going to the Policing Board

If you’re going to start a campaign, you might as well start at the top. I’ve decided to go to the Policing Board’s meeting. The Chief Constable is going to be there and I want to ask about Punishment Attacks.

On Talkback Today

It’s all arranged - I’ll be on Talkback with Wendy Austin at 12.00 today.

Policing Board

I’m not sure if this is progress or not. I asked the Chief Constable about the clear-up rates for Punishment Attacks at the Policing Board this morning. He said he supported this campaign, but was very vague about what he thought about a 4% clear up rate.

I got onto the radio!

The Talkback programme sent us a Twitter message asking if someone would appear on the programme. Wendy had seen the interview Shauneen had done with Anna.