Statement by TUV Comber councillor Stephen Cooper:
“I am appalled tonight at the Alliance Party’s stance in abstaining from supporting my notice of motion calling for justice for innocent victims last night.
“I emphasised that this was a moral issue and spoke about the effect it would have on victims’ families, but alas, to no avail.
“I am disgusted at their refusal to back my central thrust of my motion, which is opposing the statutory definition of a victim, which equates perpetrators of human rights violations with the victims the perpetrators created.
“I hope the electorate will reflect on this in the coming election, and every election thereafter.
“It is rank hypocrisy that Alliance representatives have the audacity to stand at Remembrance Sunday on the one hand, yet they have the brass neck to refuse to support innocent victims of terrorism, including my former colleagues in the UDR, and our security forces in general.
“For anyone in public office to acquiesce to the principle of appeasing terrorism is nothing new; however, I remain vehemently opposed to this shameful trait which is at the heart of the so called peace process.
“The next generation will judge those who pander to those who were responsible for the billions of pounds of economic damage, and trillions of tears across our nation.
“This is a low point for our victims, and indeed, our borough.”
Motion as read and passed read as follows:
This council strongly objects to the current statutory definition of a “victim”, which equates perpetrators of terrorist acts with those they made victims. Council, being supportive of a pension scheme for innocent victims of terrorism, welcomes the Secretary of State’s most recent position to exclude perpetrators of terrorism from inclusion in any pension or other monetary compensation scheme arising for injuries sustained during the terrorist campaign, and will write to the Secretary of State to urge him to intervene through legislation to expressly exclude perpetrators of terrorism from inclusion in the definition of a victim.