In February this year Secretary of State Theresa Villiers stated that we today faced “a pernicious counter narrative”.

Villiers in her speech would go on to say that there were some who proposed a “version of the Troubles that seeks to displace responsibility from the people who perpetrated acts of terrorism and place the State at the heart of nearly every atrocity and murder that took place”. She went on to say that “It wasn’t the RUC or the Army who pulled the trigger at Loughinisland.” 

But it was the British Army whose agent was involved in importing the weapons and it was the RUC who failed to follow intelligence on those weapons leaving them in circulation to commit hundreds of killings and attempted killings.

It was RUC paid agents who pulled the triggers and it was the RUC who failed to investigate the atrocity, with houses not searched and no arrests made for a month, despite having names within a day. Alibis weren’t checked out and evidence was persistently destroyed by the police. It was the RUC who destroyed the getaway car after 10 months denying future police investigations the opportunity to test for DNA.

Following the publication of the Police Ombudsman Report on Loughinisland Ms Villiers cannot say she accepts the findings of the report and allow her hurtful and damaging remarks to stand. 

She must retract the remarks and make apology to the Loughinisland families and all families affected by the British military policy of collusion