ALLIANCE Victims Spokesperson Eileen Bell has said that families of the ‘Disappeared’ have not been forgotten in the peace process, after a victim support group expressed concern over the issue yesterday.
Mrs Bell said:
“I personally raised the concerns of the ‘Disappeared’ with Tony Blair at Leeds Castle. Wave had contacted us just before we left Northern Ireland for Kent, and Alliance was happy to bring up the matter, as uncomfortable for the government as that was.
“Victims have a right to feel aggrieved, and I agree that too little is being done. Not enough pressure is being applied and so the suffering continues.
“Alliance would have absolutely no problem signing up to a written guarantee to actively support the families of the ‘Disappeared’ in political discussions or anywhere else.
“In all the hype and spin over the past two weeks about the possibility of an end to paramilitary activity and decommissioning, it is sobering to remember that there are many victims out there who relive the horror of the Troubles every day.
“All they are asking for is an end to the heartbreak. If paramilitaries are serious about building trust, they must not let the ‘Disappeared’ become the forgotten. They cannot ignore this issue, and I would urge them to make greater efforts to help the families of their victims to come to terms with their grief.”