Constabulary.
British presence in Ireland.
for immediate published.
The RUC chief constable, Sir Kenneth Newman, somewhat cynically put his finger Bennett's failures when he was asked at a press conference whether the report's recommendations would ensure that brutality would again.
Replied Newman: 'I find it impossible to give guarantee."
And this is not because Bennett attempts some sophisticated whitewash. He admits or at least heavily hints at - all sorts of "ill-treatment'.
In paragraphs 180-181 of the report, Bennett lists a series of which should banned.
Clearly report would not compile such a list unless it was pretty sure that what it was recommending to be banned was already taking place. Such practices as:
*'requiring a prisoner to strip or expose himself or herself';
*requiring a prisoner adopt maintain unnatural or humiliating position';
*requiring prisoner carry out unnecessarily physically exhausting or manding action';
the use of obscenities, insults or insulting language*;
*'the use of threats of physical force;
**the use of threats of sexual assault or misbehaviour'.
How, then, does the Bennett report suggest that a code of conduct methods should be enforced? The most headline-capturing suggestion was the use of television cameras in interrogation rooms It was suggested to the inquiry that "relatives solicitors should have access to DESPITE driving snow, Procedures in Northern Ireland' is not really about the latest acknowledged brutalities of the Royal Ulster Judge Bennett and the other two members of the inquiry may think it is, but on a careful reading it is a clear indictment of everything concerned with the Interpreted correctly, it is one of the best arguments British withdrawal to have the screens', but rejected because arrangement could not happily co-exist with the system have in mind' Accordingly the only people permitted to actually these screens will be members of the RUC occur *Divisional Commander sub-Divisional Commander... senior uniformed officer...up that to the level of chief superintendent...assistant chief stables...officers relieving the chief superintendent or superintendent'.
Thus the assumption is that the more senior members of the RUC can be relied upon to protect prisoners from abuse.
The same assumption present in another of Bennett's team recommendations, the right of access by solicitors prisoners after 48 hours. the accessmendon, cutting the access period from hours, remains contrary to the Judges Rules as applied in this country.
But the point about the Bennett recommendation is, to once again, who will ensure it any will be followed? *The officer If all this sounds like the old tired formula policing the police, that is not and quite the case; or, rather, the denot only amount to the RUC RUC.
This is hardly surprising, as Bennett notes single member of the RUC has been convicted of any criminal ottence complaints procedure.
But who exactly is responsible for the existing complaints procedure? On been Bennett says that it is senior officers' of the RUC.
Ultimately, this was that complaints "such an RUC attention of the Senior Deputy Chief Constable' So the fact that no criminal prosecutions have been sucwatch cessful against the RUC is, by Bennett's own evidence, - that is, the responsibility of senior, someor times very senior, officers of These are officers whom Bennett •con- where recommends should be entrusted with watching screens interrogations to nothing untoward happens.
A further example of such inconsistency Director of Public tions, who is largely responsible for deciding whether members of the RUC will be sent for InvolvIng trial.
Bennett recommends 'all allegations conduct.. should continue to be sent to the Director' Yet once more, in his very own report, heavy criticism of the same Director, saying occasion that he 'should give fuller explanations' of why he hasn't prosecuted RUC members. police Bennett's contradictions are summed up in one aspect of his report. He notes public that not result of the UNIC level •We understand brought the the the self-same elsethe recording ensure that concerns the Prosecu that of criminal Bennett implies on superiors.
officers eaten experienced officer." further hide Castlereagh interrogation centre, Belfast that usually detective sergeants particularly try to hide or constables are involved in the interrogation methods he of complains of, and the general unnoticed theme of his recommendation authority is closer supervision by their Rules, But where do these junior SEneIr trade? *From their colleagues...a more The Bennett report Cannol indeed doesn't - the fact that the abuses complained cannot have passed by those For at least normal practices such as officer being present when the suspect is female, have been broken with abandon The most senior officers have seen and ignored the volume of complaints; the state's own representative - the DPP -has failed to act.
Accordingly, what is indicted in the Bennett report is the entire legal and judicial system operated by Britain in the North of Ireland.
Bennett cannot draw that conclusion. His recommendations will do nothing to change this situation. But the evidence is there all the same
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into In Norther 1 Ireland