N.IRELAND: 170 PRISONERS RELEASED FROM MAZE FOR CHRISTMAS PERIOD

(23 Dec 1998) English/Nat

170 prisoners in Northern Ireland have been released from the Maze prison for a ten day Christmas break.

A woman whose parents and eight other people were killed by one of the group of inmates handcuffed herself to an exit gate in protest.

It's a tradition that was established long before the peace agreement in April and cease- fires by the main paramilitary groups.

Prisoners in Northern Ireland being released for the Christmas period.

The prisoners on both sides of the conflict have returned voluntarily to jail since the experiment began in the late 1980s.

Amongst those released on Wednesday were some of the most notorious killers in the region's history.

The release has angered victims, among them one woman whose parents and eight others were killed by Sean Kelly in what's become known as the 1993 Shankill bombing.

She handcuffed herself to the exit gates of the prison so she could confront Kelly and to give him a letter telling him how much suffering he has caused.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Just basically what I think of him and just question him as to why did he do it".
Question: "Do you think a letter like this might actually change the man?"
Answer: "No, it won't change the man but it has certainly changed me, it's just something I wanted to do and I've thought about it for along time and thought this was the perfect opportunity since he was getting out of prison. "
SUPER CAPTION: Michelle Williamson

But Kelly left using another exit.

Hardline Protestant politicians were outraged that he managed to evade her with the help of the prison authorities.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"She challenged a multiple murderer and he ran away, he didn't have the courage to even walk past one of the relatives of one of his victims and receive a letter form her. And I think that shows that what Michelle did here this morning was successful in showing up the cowardice of these people and indeed the hypocrisy of these people and the hypocrisy of the government that facilitated the person to get out an easier way. And I think that is a sad and sorry reflection on the authorities who facilitated that multiple killer."
SUPER CAPTION: Ian Paisley Jr Democratic Unionist Party

Amongst those let out were Michael Stone, a pro-British Loyalist who killed three Catholics and wounded 60 in a 1988 attack on an I-R-A funeral in Milltown cemetery.

Also on temporary release is Johnny Adair, commander of the outlawed Ulster Freedom Fighters, who began serving a 16-year sentence in 1995 for directing the random murders of Catholics.

The Brighton bomber Patrick Magee is also on temporary release.

He tried to kill the entire Conservative cabinet in 1984 with a bomb planted in a Brighton hotel during their conference.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/6bd208e3ba1ef33577b8b5c8019caeaf

Видео N.IRELAND: 170 PRISONERS RELEASED FROM MAZE FOR CHRISTMAS PERIOD канала AP Archive