It would seem that Twitter is not only the toxic forum we all knew it was, but that it gives people with an axe to grind far more scope to harass.
Then, these people had the brass neck to complain when they were blocked by the charity! So what was their gripe? Why would victims of UVF and INLA violence go on a tirade of abuse against an advocacy agency such as South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) and pick out one of their workers, who has also experienced the traumatic loss of a loved one?
As far as I (and many others who witnessed the shameful performance on Twitter) could gather, it is because SEFF has reached out to security force members and their bereaved to offer support. The fact that they have also offered support to victims of republican and loyalist paramilitaries in equal measure, seems to have alluded those throwing the accusations and lies.
There are without a doubt, hundreds of thousands of victims, not only here in Ireland, but spread across Europe, who have suffered at the hands of both terrorists and I should add, security forces. No-one, well, certainly not I, will ever say that innocent victims of any organisation relating to the troubles are not victims, and shouldn’t be supported in whatever way those in the sector can.
And going back to some ‘phrases’ widely used when speaking of victimhood. I’ve heard the phrase, in the specific context from some victims charities that ‘there is no hierarchy of victims’. This was discussed in a paper by QUB entitled ‘The hierarchy of Victims in Northern Ireland: A Framework for critical analysis.' I’m not going to go into it in detail, but I did find much of its analysis really interesting, and it went into much detail outlining the different ‘hierarchies’ of victimhood. Until last year I was of the same opinion until I realised that this phrase was being used to quite blatantly allow for convicted terrorists to be shown the same acknowledgment as the likes of the horrific murder of the Quinn Brothers Jason, Mark and Richard murdered by UVF in 1998, or 6 month old Nivruti Islania murdered along with her father Mick Islania, a Corporal in the RAF based in Germany as their car was sprayed with bullets. There can be Zero comparison, moral or financial, for a terrorist who blew his own hands (or in one case) manhood off, and the mother of the little boys or a baby taken in such grotesque ways.
Again we come back to why was a victim and her employers being trolled so mercilessly by other ‘victims’? Some of the comments and posts were so vile that a newspaper contacted the victim themselves about her having been forced off Twitter. I mean, did these uncaring specimens not realise that if they want a support network to assist them, there are hundreds of outlets for which they may seek help for their obvious trauma? I didn’t see The Pat Finucane Centre, or RFJ being dealt with in the same heinous way SEFF were slandered. There are of course different advocacy groups for victims who require specific assistance. I have no issue with someone heading to either of these two advocates, renowned for taking on Republican/ Nationalist victims who wish to take a case against the state or loyalist paramilitaries. In fact I would be appalled and disgusted if I saw them being abused constantly (numerous abusive tweets per day over the space of a couple of weeks).
There are countless victims of our past, the majority innocent, who are trying to just get on with their lives in some form or another, The assistance is there for every kind of victim. So use it, don’t abuse by creating more victims. It isn’t doing anything for your fight for justice.
Of course, being able to challenge is a welcome freedom, However, what I saw was clear, unadulterated harassment of both a highly respected advocacy charity for victims of the troubles, along with their advocacy workers, with a constant tirade and ‘tagging in’ of both concerned.
Then, these people had the brass neck to complain when they were blocked by the charity! So what was their gripe? Why would victims of UVF and INLA violence go on a tirade of abuse against an advocacy agency such as South East Fermanagh Foundation (SEFF) and pick out one of their workers, who has also experienced the traumatic loss of a loved one?
As far as I (and many others who witnessed the shameful performance on Twitter) could gather, it is because SEFF has reached out to security force members and their bereaved to offer support. The fact that they have also offered support to victims of republican and loyalist paramilitaries in equal measure, seems to have alluded those throwing the accusations and lies.
There are without a doubt, hundreds of thousands of victims, not only here in Ireland, but spread across Europe, who have suffered at the hands of both terrorists and I should add, security forces. No-one, well, certainly not I, will ever say that innocent victims of any organisation relating to the troubles are not victims, and shouldn’t be supported in whatever way those in the sector can.
Can we explore some terms widely used in the framework of talking about victims? You will note that I quite deliberately said ‘innocent victims’. So, what Is an innocent? Innocent definition: a person not being guilty of a particular crime/act. And victim? a person who has been attacked, injured or killed as a result of a crime . . . also relates to other types of crime where the person can be a victim.
As is usual for this place, we can’t even seem to agree on the term ‘victim’! Whatever anyone thinks, the facts are that the definition of victim in relation to the Victims compensation scheme, as interpreted by the Dept of Justice (NI). In this case it is more telling as to what is Not a victim for the purposes of compensation. And this is where I have seen real issues in that for purposes of being paid under the scheme, a ‘victim’ claiming must not have a criminal record, or have had any causal input into their disablement.
Even the previous Commissioner for Victim’s and Survivors NI, Judith Thompson has stated that there ‘Is No Moral Equivalence Between Those Who Have Caused Harm And Those Who Have Suffered Harm.’
As is usual for this place, we can’t even seem to agree on the term ‘victim’! Whatever anyone thinks, the facts are that the definition of victim in relation to the Victims compensation scheme, as interpreted by the Dept of Justice (NI). In this case it is more telling as to what is Not a victim for the purposes of compensation. And this is where I have seen real issues in that for purposes of being paid under the scheme, a ‘victim’ claiming must not have a criminal record, or have had any causal input into their disablement.
Even the previous Commissioner for Victim’s and Survivors NI, Judith Thompson has stated that there ‘Is No Moral Equivalence Between Those Who Have Caused Harm And Those Who Have Suffered Harm.’
And going back to some ‘phrases’ widely used when speaking of victimhood. I’ve heard the phrase, in the specific context from some victims charities that ‘there is no hierarchy of victims’. This was discussed in a paper by QUB entitled ‘The hierarchy of Victims in Northern Ireland: A Framework for critical analysis.' I’m not going to go into it in detail, but I did find much of its analysis really interesting, and it went into much detail outlining the different ‘hierarchies’ of victimhood. Until last year I was of the same opinion until I realised that this phrase was being used to quite blatantly allow for convicted terrorists to be shown the same acknowledgment as the likes of the horrific murder of the Quinn Brothers Jason, Mark and Richard murdered by UVF in 1998, or 6 month old Nivruti Islania murdered along with her father Mick Islania, a Corporal in the RAF based in Germany as their car was sprayed with bullets. There can be Zero comparison, moral or financial, for a terrorist who blew his own hands (or in one case) manhood off, and the mother of the little boys or a baby taken in such grotesque ways.
Again we come back to why was a victim and her employers being trolled so mercilessly by other ‘victims’? Some of the comments and posts were so vile that a newspaper contacted the victim themselves about her having been forced off Twitter. I mean, did these uncaring specimens not realise that if they want a support network to assist them, there are hundreds of outlets for which they may seek help for their obvious trauma? I didn’t see The Pat Finucane Centre, or RFJ being dealt with in the same heinous way SEFF were slandered. There are of course different advocacy groups for victims who require specific assistance. I have no issue with someone heading to either of these two advocates, renowned for taking on Republican/ Nationalist victims who wish to take a case against the state or loyalist paramilitaries. In fact I would be appalled and disgusted if I saw them being abused constantly (numerous abusive tweets per day over the space of a couple of weeks).
There are countless victims of our past, the majority innocent, who are trying to just get on with their lives in some form or another, The assistance is there for every kind of victim. So use it, don’t abuse by creating more victims. It isn’t doing anything for your fight for justice.
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| Lesley Stock is a former PSNI and RUC Officer currently involved in community work. |
