12 November 1998 Edition
Derrywoman wins damages
A member of Sinn Fein in Derry, Brid Curran, has won damages from the RUC after she was assaulted during a protest against the visit to the city of British royal Charles Windsor in 1994.
During the visit an RUC man pushed Ms Curran over railings and injured her back. She was incapacitated for two weeks afterwards.
At the end of the two day hearing last week, Judge Burgess said that what happened ``was deliberate and amounted to an assault'' and awarded both aggravated and exemplary damages.
At the time of the incident Ms Curran lodged a formal complaint but was informed several months later that no action would be taken against the RUC man involved.
Speaking after the judgement Ms Curran said the ruling ``proves the RUC is not capable of investigating itself as they found in the initial investigation that there was no case to answer. However, a judge has ruled that an assault did take place and in light of that where does that leave the RUC investigation?''.
During the visit an RUC man pushed Ms Curran over railings and injured her back. She was incapacitated for two weeks afterwards.
At the end of the two day hearing last week, Judge Burgess said that what happened ``was deliberate and amounted to an assault'' and awarded both aggravated and exemplary damages.
At the time of the incident Ms Curran lodged a formal complaint but was informed several months later that no action would be taken against the RUC man involved.
Speaking after the judgement Ms Curran said the ruling ``proves the RUC is not capable of investigating itself as they found in the initial investigation that there was no case to answer. However, a judge has ruled that an assault did take place and in light of that where does that leave the RUC investigation?''.