Pat Finucane’s widow criticizes UK’s ‘despicable’ decision not to conduct a public inquiry into her murder

Belfast’s widow, lawyer Pat Finucane, has called the British government’s decision not to conduct a public inquiry into his death as “despicable”.

Geraldine Finucane also accused the British authorities of “arrogance” for ignoring a finding by the UK High Court that all previous examinations of the murder had not complied with human rights standards.

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis announced yesterday that there would be no immediate public inquiry into the murder, despite calls from the Finucane family and the Irish UK government to do so.

The 39-year-old lawyer, who represented Republican and loyalist paramilitaries during the riots, was shot and killed at his family’s North Belfast home in February 1989 by the Ulster Defense Association.

The attack was later found to have been carried out in collusion with the state.

Geraldine Finucane and the couple’s three children have been campaigning for decades for a public inquiry to establish the extent of the security forces’ involvement.

Despite the British government’s announcement yesterday, Geraldine said that the Finucane family would take note of the decision and continue to fight on behalf of her husband.

“I will never run out of my way as long as there is breath in my body,” he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland. “Today is a new day. We will take stock and move on.”

The British and Irish governments agreed to conduct a public inquiry in 2001 as part of the Weston Park agreement, but no such inquiry has ever been conducted.

Geraldine revealed that Lewis had personally told her that the British authorities had nothing to investigate and that a review of the murder might not be necessary, something she described as “strange”.

“I can’t really put into words what it sounds like, but it doesn’t seem like everyone is singing the same hymn sheet,” he said.

Yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that the Irish government “strongly held the view that a public inquiry was needed.”

Geraldine also claimed that certain information about the murder had not yet been discovered, but added that it was difficult to continue fighting for this to happen through a public investigation.

She criticized the British government for continuing to avoid conducting an investigation, revealing that her family’s failed attempts to uncover the circumstances of her husband’s death over many years had shocked them.

“All I can say is that I don’t wish it on anyone. Everyone deserves to know the truth about what happened to their loved ones, ”he said.

And that the British government continues to avoid that issue is despicable. And it not only affects me, but it also affects all the people who are suffering and who are left in the dark about what happened. “

The Minister of Foreign Relations, Simon Coveney, said yesterday that the government will request to meet again with the Finucane family “to hear their perspectives and concerns.”

With a Press Association report.