Rosemary Nelson inquiry finds state failed to prevent her murder

State failed to protect Northern Ireland solicitor before her murder by loyalists but did not collude in her killing, says report The state failed to protect the high-profile solicitor Rosemary Nelson before her murder by loyalists in Northern Ireland but did not collude in her killing, a major public inquiry has found. The hard-hitting report found no evidence of a direct role in the car bomb attack 12 years ago, but it said it could not rule out the possibility of involvement by a rogue element of the security forces. The inquiry, which cost £46.5m, concluded that Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers publicly abused and assaulted the solicitor, and it believed police intelligence on the 40-year-old mother of three had leaked out. Before her death on 15 March 1999, the lawyer who worked on a number of controversial cases including those of suspected republican terrorists, had alleged police intimidation. Those claims gained international attention and the report found police had made “abusive and threatening remarks” about the solicitor. The public inquiry found that the state “failed to take reasonable and proportionate steps to safeguard the life of Rosemary Nelson”. Northern Ireland Police guardian.co.uk

Posted by on May 23, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.