Families of Glenanne Gang victims have "legal, moral and right" to truth

by Gráinne Connolly

The Police Chief heading an inquiry into the activities of the Glenanne Gang, says the terms of reference for a report into collusion have now been agreed.

The nototorious loyalist gang has been linked to more than 100 murders and other offences during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. 

Former Bedfordshire Police Chief Jon Boutcher is in charge of the investigation and announced the terms of reference (ToR) following agreement with PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne.

They include agreement on having independent legal counsel and no ex members of the RUC/PSNI/MOD or intelligence services working within his team.

Mr Boutcher authored the ToR in accordance with the Court of Appeal judgement in the Glenanne Report challenge of 5 July 2019.

He initially agreed to explore taking responsibility for the review in November 2019.

The ToR follow recommendations of the Edward Barnard court judgement in which the presiding judges ordered the report to be carried out by an independent police team comprising officers who had not served in Northern Ireland or been members of the security forces.

Mr Boutcher and his investigating team are tasked with identifying the composition of the Glenanne Series and to establish whether the review of the cases as a whole, suggest there were wider issues of collusion. 

They'll also examine issues beyond those which have already been established.

Mr Boutcher said: “I have already met a number of families affected by these incredibly sad events and have been touched by their great strength and the honesty and integrity of their efforts to find the truth.

"They are a remarkable group of families both collectively and as individuals. Their stories are incredibly moving and they have both a legal, and moral, right to the truth.

“I am determined to apply the same rigour and focus to this review as has been undertaken throughout the other Kenova matters under investigation.

"The same structure of independence will be applied to the Glenanne Gang as with the other Kenova-related cases, this includes key elements such as having independent legal counsel, no ex-members of the RUC/PSNI, MOD or intelligence agencies working within the team and the vital assistance of the Independent Steering Group and Victim Focus Group in supporting the review.

"Our aim is to find the truth for the families and be in a position to answer their previously unanswered questions.”

This is the fourth independent investigation or review taken on by Mr Boutcher and the Kenova team.

Others include:

• Operation Kenova – a complex and wide-ranging investigation into allegations of murder, kidnap and torture dating back to the 1970s
   
• The death of Jean Smyth-Campbell who was shot dead while sitting in a car on the Glen Road in west Belfast on 8 June, 1972
   
• The investigation into the murder of three RUC officers at Kinnego Embankment in County Armagh on 27 October 1982.