Plastic Justice A Report on the use of Plastic and Rubber Bullets in Ireland FRANCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOMAS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PAUL WHITTERS CAROL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NORA MCCABE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEAMUS DUFFY FRANCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOMAS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PAUL WHITTERS CAROL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NORA MCCABE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEAMUS DUFFY FRANCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOMAS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PAUL WHITTERS CAROL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NORA MCCABE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEAMUS DUFFY FRANCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOMAS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PAUL WHITTERS CAROL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NORA MCCABE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEAMUS DUFFY The untold stories of Relatives, Victims and Survivors PLASTIC JUSTICE: A REPORT ON THE USE OF PLASTIC AND RUBBER BULLETS IN IRELAND Plastic Justice A Report on the use of Plastic and Rubber Bullets 1 in Ireland FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY Contents Abstract and Foreword 4 Introduction 5 PART I 6 The Plastic Bullet - Use of language 6 The Plastic Bullet - What is it? 6 The Development of the Plastic Bullet 7 The Plastic Bullet - Ballistic Research 8 The Plastic Bullet - Medical Impact Studies 9 The Use of Plastic and Rubber Bullets in Ireland 10 Statistics 10 Public Commentary 12 Misuse and Abuse 15 Unaccountability 19 The Current Landscape 20 3 The Debate 22 The State’s Legacy 25 PART II 30 Introduction 30 Francis Rowntree 31 Julie Livingstone 32 Michael Donnelly 34 Tobias Molloy 36 Thomas Friel 36 Stephen Geddis 37 Brian Stewart 37 Paul Whitters 38 Carol Ann Kelly 38 Harry Duffy 39 Nora McCabe 39 Peter Doherty 39 Peter McGuinness 40 Stephen McConomy 40 John Downes 41 Keith White 41 Seamus Duffy 42 To Give Thanks 43 FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY PLASTIC JUSTICE: A REPORT ON THE USE OF PLASTIC AND RUBBER BULLETS IN IRELAND Abstract The lasting legacy of the State’s use of plastic and rubber bullets is this: The firing of plastic and rubber bullets in Ireland was almost wholly unaccountable, from the procurement of ammunition which was knowingly faulty to the killing of innocent men, women and children. No one has ever been held to account for any of the 17 people killed by plastic and rubber bullets and no liability has ever been publicly admitted to by the security forces responsible. Instead, the State has pursued a policy of criminalisation, intimidation and endless private, out-of-court, settlements to evade legal scrutiny of their actions. This silence amounts to nothing more than Plastic Justice. The victims, families and public have a right to the truth about the dangers of these weapons and their legacy in Ireland, and the suggestion that the state may buy and bully their way out of this obligation is unacceptable. True justice requires that ‘justice not only be done but must also be seen to be done.’ Keywords: Policing, British Army, Inquest, Right to Truth, Legacy, Human Rights Foreword 4 This publication is dedicated to all of those killed, the families that mourn them and the countless injured as a result of the use of rubber and plastic bullets in Ireland. It is in tribute to the selfless, dedicated campaigning of families and activists who travelled the globe to highlight the use of these weapons. Special mention will always be made of Emma Groves and Clara Reilly, two working class women who travelled from Belfast to Washington to Moscow to raise this experience of devastation, and campaign for an end to the use of plastic bullets. The PSNI currently retains plastic bullets in its armoury. These weapons have no place in a transitional society that wishes to promote human rights and foster healing. The call today is as it always has been. Ban Plastic Bullets Now. FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY PLASTIC JUSTICE: A REPORT ON THE USE OF PLASTIC AND RUBBER BULLETS IN IRELAND Plastic Justice: A Report on the use of Plastic and Rubber Bullets in Ireland Through the personal accounts of families, victims and survivors, this report will tell the stories of the human impact of the use of plastic and rubber bullets in the north of Ireland. It seeks to allow the reader to gain an insight into the hurt, the trauma and the struggles of those living with the memories of the violence inflicted upon them. In doing so, the reader should yield an impression of the extraordinary and inspiring resilience of those involved in their fight for truth and justice. Before reading these personal accounts, an understanding of the over-arching legal, political and medical questions regarding the use of plastic bullets in Ireland is, in our opinion, essential. Therefore, Part I of this report is dedicated to giving an introduction to, and analysis of, these issues, with the personal accounts of families forming Part II. 5 Plastic bullet, actual size Length: 3.5 inches Diameter: 1.5 inches Weight: 150 grams FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE MICHAEL DONNELLY TOBIAS MOLLOY THOmaS FRIEL STEPHEN GEDDIS BRIAN STEWART PaUL WHITTERS CarOL ANN KELLY HARRY DUFFY NOra MCCaBE PETER DOHERTY PETER MCGUINESS STEPHEN MCCONOMY JOHN DOWNES KEITH WHITE SEamUS DUFFY FraNCIS ROWNTREE JULIE LIVINGSTONE