The leaders of Ireland's main churches are today issuing an appeal for an end to paramilitary attacks in the North.
The senior clerics: Derry's Archbishop Eamonn Martin; Archbishop Richard Clarke, Church of Ireland Archbishop of Armagh; Rev Dr Laurence Graham, President of the Methodist Church in Ireland; Bishop John McDowell, President of the Irish Council of Churches; and the Rt Rev Dr Noble McNeely, Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland - have issued a joint statement to coincide with the United Nations’ Universal Children’s Day.
The Church leaders are emphasizing in particular how these attacks continue to impact the lives and wellbeing of children and young people.
The statement reads:
At the heart of the vision for the Peace Process was the hope that children and young people might be protected from the violence that blighted the lives of previous generations. Sadly, too many in our society continue to be exposed to this violence at an early age, either as victims of direct attacks, or as members of families subjected to attacks or intimidation.
Making our communities safe and welcoming places is the responsibility of all members of society. We need to ask ourselves whether the legacy of violent conflict here has caused us to feel powerless to challenge the culture that supports the continuation of this type of violence.
We have many examples of courageous leadership from those working to give our young people better opportunities and help those at risk make better choices - in our churches, in youth clubs, in education, sports clubs and in the wider community and voluntary sector.
Much of this valuable work is now under pressure as a result of funding cuts and financial uncertainty. In this context, it is more important than ever that we seek to lend our support to initiatives that offer young people the chance to achieve their full potential and challenge those who seek to trap them in never-ending cycles of violence.
PSNI appeal
The PSNI, meanwhile, have appealed to communities to speak out against paramilitaries on Universal Children’s Day.
Latest statistics show there were 28 victims of paramilitary style shootings in 2016/17, double the number recorded in the previous year. There was also an increase in the number of casualties of paramilitary style assaults, from 58 last year to 66 over the same period this year. Loyalist paramilitary crime gangs were deemed responsible for 56 of these casualties with the remaining 10 attributed to Republican organisations.
Detective Superintendent Bobby Singleton said: “Around 6% of the paramilitary style attacks carried out last year were against people under 18 years. An attack against a person of any age, but particularly a child, is completely unacceptable in any society. This is child abuse and should not be tolerated by any rational person.
“Worryingly, there is some evidence of tolerance and even support in some of our communities for paramilitary style attacks as a form of summary justice - this is anything but just."
“The people behind these attacks should be seen for what they are, hypocritical thugs trying to exert coercive control over communities by creating a climate of fear."
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