Unionist politicians have been accused of “double standards” during a debate in Stormont yesterday on compensation payments to the families of dead paramilitaries.
Kieran Doherty
Ulster Unionists and members of the Democratic Unionist Party are objecting to a compensation payment to be made to the family of Derry man Kieran Doherty, who was shot dead by the Real IRA.
His family have confirmed the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel has agreed a compensation payment of £5,500.
However, that has angered victims of paramilitaries and especially the families of the Omagh bombing which was carried out by the Real IRA.
Unionist politicians are now attempting to have the payment blocked.
They say while they sympathised with the family of the Derry man, they maintain there is a “hierarchy” when it came to innocent victims.
Derry Sinn MLA hit back accusing unionists of operating “double standards.”
He accused them of only objecting to such payments when the word “republican, nationalist or Catholic was mentioned” adding they did not object to payments made to families of two loyalist paramilitaries.
Kieran Doherty’s body was found naked and bound on the Braehead Road near the Irish border on in February 2010.
The Real IRA said it killed the 31-year-old fath and that he was one of its members.
“They threw him in the road like a dog and brutally murdered him,” Christine Doherty said.
His family have said he was a “good and decent man trying to lead a normal life.”
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