Belfast priest says paramilitary intimidation contributes to suicides

Published: 2004-02-25

DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) -- Paramilitary intimidation is contributing to suicides in Belfast, Northern Ireland, said a priest in whose parish 12 people have taken their lives since Christmas. In the latest incident, Fathers Aidan Troy and Gary Donegan found and removed a body from the scaffolding surrounding Holy Cross Parish. Brendan Cairns, 18, was discovered hours after the funeral of his friend, Anthony O'Neill, who also had committed suicide. Both men had been victims of punishment beatings by the paramilitary Irish Nationalist Liberation Army, and Father Troy blamed those beatings for contributing to their suicides. "I can't prove that intimidation has caused any one person to do what they did, but there is no doubt in my mind and the family minds that actions like threats, punishment beatings and shootings contributed to a sense of helplessness and a sense of fear," he told Catholic News Service in a telephone interview.

Copyright (c) 2004 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .