The Five Demands

E’ successo a Derry. Orla Connolly, moglie di Gary Donnelly  (uno dei ‘4 Derry’ detenuto nel carcere di Portlaoise senza prove a suo carico e senza processo dallo scorso marzo) ha dichiarato di essere stata attaccata dal PSNI al di fuori di un centro commerciale di Derry. Si trovava in compagnia di suo padre, giunto ad aiutarla dopo la nascita del nipote. Gli agenti del PSNI hanno iniziato le perquisizioni da quest’ultimo per poi minacciare la donna la quale ha esplicitamente richiesto come da legge che la perquisizione dovesse essere effettuata da un agente donna. Nell’attesa che sopraggiungesse l’agente donna, gli agenti del PSNI hanno minacciato di prendere il bambino dal seggiolino per auto per perquisirlo, finchè Orla Connolly ha richiesto la presenza di un avvocato quietando le acque.
Come consuetudine in questi casi il PSNI, ha invitato coloro che si sono sentiti in un qualche modo lesi nei loro diritti, ad inoltrare un esposto all’ufficio del Police Ombudsman.

PSNI threatened to search 7 week old baby – claim
The partner of Gary Donnelly, one of the Derry 4 currently on remand in Portlaoise Prison, has claimed that the PSNI this week threatened to remove her 7 week old son from a car seat and physically search him.
Orla Connolly was speaking after she was stopped coming out of a shopping centre in Derry on Thursday afternoon. She said: “My father had come up from Dublin to help me after the baby was born and we were coming out of this shop when the cops came up
“One of the policemen there was involved in a case where Gary and myself were stopped and then arrested for a so called assault. When the case came to court the judge was severely critical of the cops and threw the case out.
“This policeman came up to me and some others took my father to one side to search him. he said he was going to search me and I said that they had to get a female officer if he wanted to search me. They sent for one and while we were waiting he pointed to my new born son, Fintan Donnelly, who is still attending hospital, and he said he was going to search him. I told him there was no way and he persisted and said he was going to search the baby.
“At that a female officer arrived and searched me. I also told a girl who knew me to phone my solicitor and at that the cops backed off.”
She added: “It seems we have great cross border co-operation by both forces as a few months ago when in Dublin I was stopped and physically assaulted by the Gardai. At the time they threatened to break my arm and significantly they referred to Gary having his arm broke in Derry.
“All the families of the Derry 4 are being subjected to harassment with police cars outside houses and it has reached the stage where I can no longer go down the town as I risk being stopped and hassled. Twice they took Gary and myself to court and both times the cases were thrown out and the judge criticised the police. But it seems they feel they can get away with this. i complained to the Ombudsman but they said no action would be taken.
“I am calling on the likes of Martina Anderson and Martin Connolly who are on the Police Boards to tell us why the PSNI are being allowed to continue their campaign of harassment against ordinary people in this city.
”I invited local politicians to come to court with me the last time we were up but not one of them turned up. Is this what they call helping local people?”
Orla Connolly’s father said that what he had experienced brought to mind stories of Nazi Germany.
When contacted the PSNI said they would not comment on individual cases but if anyone had a complaint they should contact the Police Ombudsman’s office.