21 May 1998 Edition
Back issue: Long Kesh Justice
By PRO H-4 Block, Remand POWs.
On Monday 8 May a Derry man, Seamus Meenan, awaiting trial here in H4 was brought before the board of visitors because he had accused a screw of assaulting him. This was the second time he was assaulted and this latest incident happened over a month ago.
Unlike the previous occasions the screw who assaulted him did not leave any marks: he hit him a few punches in the stomach. This constitutes assault and the incident was witnessed by a comrade of Seamus who has since the incident been sentenced and is now on the blanket. The board of visitors went through the process of a mock trial and as we have come to expect from all forms of Long Kesh Authority, not only did they find the screw not guilty but Seamus was charged with bringing false accusations against prison staff!
He was immediately hauled off to spend seven days on the boards in the punishment block. One would consider that bad enough on its own but...in Mason's model prison, when Seamus got to the boards he got properly assaulted again and is now locked up and deprived of visits and contact with other prisoners for the next seven days. By that time the marks from this latest assault will probably have healed.
I could go on and accuse the board of visitors, prison staff, even the Northern Ireland Office for their parts in this affair. But what's the use? This is life in Long Kesh. British justice personified.
How did Seamus come to get assaulted in the first place, you may ask? That's simple, a bad humoured screw told him to put his hands by his side and when he didn't obey quick enough he got the stomach treatment.
I hope Bishop Daly, from whose diocese Seamus comes, reads this.
How can he call on the IRA to give up the fight and try to gain ``concessions'' from the Brits? Does he not know the only answer to our problem? As Seamus Meenan lies on the boards tonight recovering from his latest hammering, he knows what the answer is. So does the majority of the Irish people. Get the Brits, their justice and influence out of our country.
On Monday 8 May a Derry man, Seamus Meenan, awaiting trial here in H4 was brought before the board of visitors because he had accused a screw of assaulting him. This was the second time he was assaulted and this latest incident happened over a month ago.
Unlike the previous occasions the screw who assaulted him did not leave any marks: he hit him a few punches in the stomach. This constitutes assault and the incident was witnessed by a comrade of Seamus who has since the incident been sentenced and is now on the blanket. The board of visitors went through the process of a mock trial and as we have come to expect from all forms of Long Kesh Authority, not only did they find the screw not guilty but Seamus was charged with bringing false accusations against prison staff!
He was immediately hauled off to spend seven days on the boards in the punishment block. One would consider that bad enough on its own but...in Mason's model prison, when Seamus got to the boards he got properly assaulted again and is now locked up and deprived of visits and contact with other prisoners for the next seven days. By that time the marks from this latest assault will probably have healed.
I could go on and accuse the board of visitors, prison staff, even the Northern Ireland Office for their parts in this affair. But what's the use? This is life in Long Kesh. British justice personified.
How did Seamus come to get assaulted in the first place, you may ask? That's simple, a bad humoured screw told him to put his hands by his side and when he didn't obey quick enough he got the stomach treatment.
I hope Bishop Daly, from whose diocese Seamus comes, reads this.
How can he call on the IRA to give up the fight and try to gain ``concessions'' from the Brits? Does he not know the only answer to our problem? As Seamus Meenan lies on the boards tonight recovering from his latest hammering, he knows what the answer is. So does the majority of the Irish people. Get the Brits, their justice and influence out of our country.