Youth slam RUC
Young people from across the Six Counties broke their silence about
how the criminal justice system has failed them during a conference
held last Tuesday in the Europa Hotel in Belfast. The conference was
organised by the Committee on the Administration of Justice, the
Northern Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement of
Offenders and the Nucleus centre. Over 70 young people and
representatives of various community groups attended.
The use and abuse of British emergency legislation was particularly
highlighted, as it has been applied to youth as young as 10 years of
age.
Other issues, such as the lack of accountability of the RUC, the work
of various agencies dealing with criminal justice and official social
services as well as the success of community restorative justice
schemes were debated.
The conference was attended by various assembly members, including
Sinn Féin's Sue Ramsey and Baírbre de Brun. Commissioner on Human
Rights Brice Dickson and Commission on Policing member Maurice Hayes
were also present.
One of the issues lengthily debated and that came to be a focus point
in all discussions was the work of the RUC. During the presentations
made at the opening of the conference by the youth of both
communities, the RUC was portrayed as a hostile and menacing
organisation. In sketches, many youth represented the RUC through
scenes of verbal, physical and sexual abuse. The comments made about
the RUC were full of anger and bitterness.
This hostile perception was further highlighted when many youth
shared their experience of the RUC in the presence of Chief Constable
Ronnie Flanagan. ``My experience in the hands of the RUC has been one
of sectarian harassment. How can you expect us to trust a force that
has never brought justice and truth, the real truth, Mr. Flanagan?''
asked one of the young
women participants. ``What does the future hold? The RUC needs to be
totally disbanded and a police force that can be trusted needs to be
established. Time is right for change, for a true justice system to
be established.''
When challenged on the ``gap of perception'' between what the youth
expressed about the RUC and his own personal view, Ronnie Flanagan
denied that there was any and blamed this idea on the ``wall of
propaganda being erected against the police''. His comments during a
panel discussion were described by most of the youth as ``offensive''.
His statement was repudiated as a mere
public relations exercise and angered participants more. Many young
people from West and the wider areas of East Belfast were further
infuriated when Ronnie Flanagan argued that ``disbandment is not even
an option''.
The conference was described as a great success by both the youth and
the organisers. Follow-up work on the conclusions of the various
panel discussions and debates will now begin.
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