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Action towards Troubles victims ‘pathetic’

Wednesday, 4 January 2012

Manya Dickinson looks at a picture of her dad, Kenneth Graham, who was murdered by an IRA bomb when she was 13 years old. 01125im

THE daughter of a man who was killed by an IRA car bomb has described the treatment of victims of the Troubles as "pathetic".
Manya Dickinson's father, Kenneth Graham was killed in April 1990 when a bomb that was planted under his car exploded. She was 13 years old when he died.
Manya now says that as she looks forward to 2012 she is willing to remain active in seeking justice for her father.
Last November she confronted the man she believes made the bomb which killed her father after he appeared at the Smithwick Tribunal in Dublin.
Blair was giving evidence before the Tribunal, which is investigating allegations of Garda collusion in the IRA murders of two senior RUC officers. There is no evidence to suggest that Patrick Blair was involved in the murder of her father.
Mr Graham was a contractor who supplied building materials to the security forces.
Speaking to The Outlook last week Manya explained that while she did not know what to expect, she was "shocked and upset" when Patrick 'Mooch' Blair laughed in her face.
“I should have been expecting it really, but I didn't know what to expect. I was crying for days after and didn't sleep for almost two weeks," she said.
Manya had attended the Smithwick Tribunal to hear what Blair would say to the Tribunal, and initially did not plan on saying anything to him.
“He made certain admissions in the Tribunal which made me realise I had to say something to him, which I did outside.
“I had to ask him if he had made the bomb, if he made the bomb which had been planted under my father's car. It was as if he had thought about how he would react and then he just put this grin on his face.
“He had his teeth gritted and his face set, as if he had been trained to do it. He was right in my face, about an inch away and he just stared at me and grinned.
“It was so upsetting. I got really annoyed and distressed when he reacted like that."
Manya said her motivation for going to the Tribunal was "to see this man and get a face to his name".
“I wanted to see what type of man he was, to see what he was like. When I saw him, he was such a small man, you just wouldn't think he'd be capable of such a thing."
Despite the deep upset the confrontation caused Manya, she feels better for having said something to him.
“I don't regret asking him. I would have regretted it if I had not said anything to him.
“I definitely feel better for having went down. He now knows what I look like and afterwards I know I would have caught him off guard. He didn't know I was there and I wanted to provoke some kind of reaction from him."
Manya had travelled to Dublin along with victims' campaigner Willie Frazer and they sat in the public gallery and observed what was happening.
She said Mr Frazer's support has been "great" and said that when he knew Blair would be at the Tribunal, he knew that Manya would want to go down.
“He is one of the few people who are willing to fight for the victims and on our behalf," she said. "He told me I would know what to say when I would see him."
Manya said Blair's reaction has only encouraged her to act out more on behalf of other victims.
“This is all the victims can do," she said. "I personally feel this is all I could have done. I know some people don't agree with what I did or how I approached it, but for me it was important to do it like this. Something will have to be done.
“This is the only thing I can do. We just can't sit back and let it go. It keeps me going and I'm seeking justice for my father. I had high hopes from the HET and they came back with nothing and it killed me.
“I do feel his reaction was a slight to me personally obviously, but victims in general too. These people think they have got away with it. 20 years later and no questions have been asked. As far as they are concerned it's all still up and running and they have got away with it.
“It's pathetic. This country is totally and utterly pathetic."
Manya was eager to point out that victims don't want to live in the past, but justice must be done.
“We want to move on but this has to be dealt with properly. We can't move on until the past has been dealt with properly.
“People who have not been through this may not be able to understand, but it's so important for us to have the past dealt with before we can look forward.
“I would like to remain active in seeking justice for my dad, but it really depends on what comes out of this. It takes a lot out of me doing this, but I feel something has to be done."

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