23 January 1997 Edition
RUC interrogation details used by Garda
A LIMERICK WOMAN LIVING in West Belfast has decided to leave the city after both the Gardai and RUC threatened her with loyalists.
Rosemary Lynch was arrested in Limerick City on 8 January 1997 and held for over 24 hours. During her detention Garda detectives made specific references to the time when she was arrested by the RUC at Grosvenor Road barracks on 10 January last year and knew about three other times she was detained.
``At first they asked me about the killing of Jerry McCabe in Adare and said I knew the whereabouts of the people who killed him. They then said the RUC gave them the information,'' she said.
``What really worried me was that the Guards kept referring to the time I was arrested in Belfast in 1996 and held at Grosvenor Road barracks. I was arrested when I went to the barracks to hand in literature from a statutory agency I worked with. My three children who are seven, nine and ten were taken to a room by an RUC man and woman and asked questions about me.
``The RUC detectives who questioned me tried to bribe me and offered me a sum of money to turn informer. When I was in Limerick the Guards quoted the figure I was offered and promised to double it if I agreed to work for them''.
Lynch also said that the Guards were able to tell her that the RUC were forced to apologise over the January incident and name the RUC member who made the apology.
Lynch says she was pushed around by the Guards and one ``jumped on the table and put his hands on my throat. They kept calling the RUC their `brothers' and said that my files were in the hands of loyalists''.
Lynch has made an official complaint about her treatment by the Guards and added, ``they were able to give details of the other times I was arrested and it has worried me, especially them saying loyalists have my files. I'm going to move out of Belfast for the sake of my kids. It's not fair on them''.
Rosemary Lynch was arrested in Limerick City on 8 January 1997 and held for over 24 hours. During her detention Garda detectives made specific references to the time when she was arrested by the RUC at Grosvenor Road barracks on 10 January last year and knew about three other times she was detained.
``At first they asked me about the killing of Jerry McCabe in Adare and said I knew the whereabouts of the people who killed him. They then said the RUC gave them the information,'' she said.
``What really worried me was that the Guards kept referring to the time I was arrested in Belfast in 1996 and held at Grosvenor Road barracks. I was arrested when I went to the barracks to hand in literature from a statutory agency I worked with. My three children who are seven, nine and ten were taken to a room by an RUC man and woman and asked questions about me.
``The RUC detectives who questioned me tried to bribe me and offered me a sum of money to turn informer. When I was in Limerick the Guards quoted the figure I was offered and promised to double it if I agreed to work for them''.
Lynch also said that the Guards were able to tell her that the RUC were forced to apologise over the January incident and name the RUC member who made the apology.
Lynch says she was pushed around by the Guards and one ``jumped on the table and put his hands on my throat. They kept calling the RUC their `brothers' and said that my files were in the hands of loyalists''.
Lynch has made an official complaint about her treatment by the Guards and added, ``they were able to give details of the other times I was arrested and it has worried me, especially them saying loyalists have my files. I'm going to move out of Belfast for the sake of my kids. It's not fair on them''.