MP: Victims’ families seek closure
Today in the House of Commons, John Baron MP spoke during the Second Reading of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill.
In the Chamber, John said,
“Some of us served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, and did indeed see the sacrifice made. We tend to underestimate the pain still caused to families by not knowing what happened to their family members, friends and victims. We also need to recognise that there has been a dearth of prosecutions since the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement came into force. We need to balance these considerations when considering this Bill.”
John said afterwards,
“This legislation recognises that achieving prosecutions for crimes committed during the Troubles is now extremely difficult. Giving conditional immunity to all those who cooperate in shedding light on the deaths and serious injuries should help people achieve a degree of closure.”
Notes to Editors:
- A short description of the Northern Ireland Bill can be found online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-on-the-introduction-of-the-northern-ireland-legacy-bill