11 September 1997 Edition

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Thought RUC raid was loyalists

``I was honestly frightened, I didn't know who was breaking into my house'', explained Lenadoon woman Jean Fox to An Phoblacht after the RUC had sledgehammered her door in at 6.30am on Wednesday 10 September. Jean's son, Thomas, is serving a life sentence in the H Blocks and she believed her home was being attacked by loyalists.

She lives alone not far from the notorious Black's Road estate from where many loyalist attacks have been launched against nationlists in West Belfast.

An RUC raiding party arrived at Mrs Fox's home in the early hours of the morning and the first she knew was when her door was smashed in. When she went to investigate the noise she saw a man in plainclothes standing there. She had no idea who he was until she saw RUC members in uniform. They told her they wanted her second son who doesn't live in the house, but searched the rooms even though she told them her son wasn't there.

As they were leaving the RUC refused to sign a damage form for the wrecked door telling her she would have to go to the barracks.

``I'm not going near them'', said Fox. ``I thought all this harassment would stop because of the cessation''.

An Phoblacht
44 Parnell Sq.
Dublin 1
Ireland