The Minister With A Conscience
Isn’t it reassuring to know that we have at least one inhabitant on The Hill who has a conscience? Martin McGuinness has declared that he will go to great lengths and make sure no stone remains unturned in the quest for justice for the McAreavey/Harte families after the acquittal of two Mauritian nationals who had been charged with the murder of Michaela McAreavey. Without doubt the entire police and prosecution case on Mauritius was a total shambles and has left the families not only bereft of justice but traumatically affected. The complete case has captured the imagination of many people here over this past eighteen months and most right minded people would have hoped for a different outcome. Not just in hoping that the two defendants were found guilty—because if they were innocent they deserved to be set free—but that proper procedures would be implemented and followed to ensure that the families had the best chance of obtaining justice. Unfortunately it has become very apparent that this was never going to be the case. Perhaps now that the Deputy First Minister has thrown his considerable weight behind the efforts to ensure new investigations take place, a fresh impetus will develop which can bring Michaela’s killers to justice.
Hopefully then–in light of the new found openness and pricking of Martin’s conscience we can look forward to similar statements relating to justice for the Quinn family—the McConville’s—Ranger William Best’s family—the McCartneys………..et al.
