RASHARKIN, FAMIGLIA PROTESTANTE AL CENTRO DI VIOLENZE SETTARIE
Attacchi settari ripetuti stanno costringendo una famiglia protestante ad abbandonare la propria casa di famiglia da 30 anni
Christopher McCaughan, 63 anni e padre di due figli, parla dopo l’ennesimo attacco contro la sua abitazione a Rasharkin, avvenuto nelle prime ore di sabato 17 ottobre.
Infrante le finestre dal lato di Church Road e bersagliata da vernice l’automobile nuova.
McCaughan ha confermato la sua non appartenenza all’Orange Order rafforzando la propria convinzione di essere oggetto di violenze solo a causa della propria religione.
“Se fossi un membro di qualcosa allora si potrebbe forse capire, perché queste persone considerano Rasharkin come un paese nazionalista. Ma, per quanto posso vedere è solo perché io sono un protestante”, ha dichiarato l’uomo.
Quello di sabato è solo l’ultimo degli attacchi settari che hanno avuto come berdaglio la famiglia McCaughan.
Nell’aprile scorso ci fu un tentativo di rompere una finestra, furono tagliati i pneumatici della sua auto e sfondato il lunotto posteriore. Christopher McCaughan rimase ferito mentre un gruppo di repubblicani stava tentando di issare il tricolore irlandese all’inizio della sua via e sua moglie è stata più volte vittima di abusi verbali mentre faceva compere in paese.
Tutti gli incidenti sono stati segnalati alla polizia.
Critiche agli attacchi, sia dal DUP che dal Sinn Fein, il quale li ha giudicati ‘privi di senso’.
A Protestant man has claimed he is being forced from his home of 30 years because of sectarian intimidation.
Father-of-two Christopher McCaughan (63) spoke out after his home and property were attacked in Rasharkin during the early hours of Saturday morning.
Windows at the house on Church Road were smashed and paint was thrown over the two-week-old family car in what police have confirmed was a hate crime.
Mr McCaughan said he believed he was targeted simply because of his religion.
“I don’t need this hassle at this age. I thought because the parades were all over that, that would be it for another year, at least. But obviously not.
“I am not a member of the Orange lodge, the only thing I am a member of is our parish church where I was a church warden. If I was a member of something then you could maybe understand it because these people see Rasharkin as a nationalist village. But as far as I can see it’s just because I am a Protestant.”
The weekend attack was the latest incident in a campaign of sectarian abuse waged against the McCaughan family. In April an attempt was made to break another window in their house, car tyres were slashed and the vehicle’s rear window was also driven in. Mr McCaughan was injured when republicans tried to erect a Tricolour flag at the top of his lane and his wife has been verbally abused while shopping in the village on a number of occasions.
All incidents have been reported to the police.
DUP MLA John Finlay said: “This attack was blatantly sectarian. It comes after year of tension fuelled by republican violence in the village.
Meanwhile Sinn Fein MLA for North Antrim Daithi McKay added his condemnation, calling such attacks “senseless”.
The Five Demands 