On
behalf of the family of Mark Robinson I would like
to begin by welcoming you all here tonight and by
thanking each and every one of you for turning out
and supporting our call for Truth and Justice. It
certainly gladdens us to know that we have so many
friends from within this community and beyond who
are prepared to stand with us in our quest to get
to the bottom of the foul and sadistic murder of
Mark.
Since
we told the story of Mark’s murder there has
been a whispering campaign with lies and misinformation
placed on the internet and other mediums. This is
being carried out by some people associated with
his killers. In these lies a number of reasons were
given as to why Mark was killed and we would like
to begin by exposing these lies for what they are.
These
people claimed that Mark was involved in a brutal
screwdriver stabbing of a security guard at Northside
Shopping Centre which left the guard permanently
injured and secondly these people tried to link
Mark to the brutal killing of former Republican
prisoner, Peter McCallion, in Pennyburn. These are
lies plain and simple.
In
both of these horrific instances all those involved
were arrested, charged, convicted and jailed for
their crimes. Mark Robinson had no part in either
incident and the people peddling these lies should
be ashamed of themselves. The truth behind all of
this is that there was no justification for Mark’s
killing and for these people to attempt to justify
his murder by using these lies proves desperation
on their part and it proves that our campaign is
having an impact.
But
this campaign of lies also begs the question of
why are these people trying to undermine this calls
for justice?
And
the answer is that there simply was no justification.
They know that this murder was so obscene and brutal
that they cannot tell the truth. They know that
people will make comparisons with infamous murders
such as those carried out by the Shankill Butchers
and they have to lie to justify the unjustifiable.
Mark
was like so many young people from this area. He
came from a family that struggled with the daily
grind of unemployment and disadvantagement. He fell
into the trap of alcohol and got himself into bother
on more than one occasion. But that was him and
we make no apologies for him being who he was.
But
did he commit any crimes that he deserved to die
for? Most certainly not!
It
is now almost four years since Mark was horrifically
butchered near this spot. To this day not one person
has been charged with his murder despite the names
of his killers being well known in this area and
beyond. Our family has borne the pain of knowing
this. We sometimes meet his killers in shops and
on the street yet we have kept silent in the forlorn
hope of justice prevailing if we maintained our
dignity. Sadly justice has eluded us.
In
2001 in the months following Mark’s murder
when the truth started to emerge and we become aware
of who was responsible, we sent a report to the
leadership of the Provisional IRA in Belfast in
a bid to get answers on the murder. We did this
secretly and quietly so as not to cause a fuss and
not to damage our chances of getting at the truth.
After
a number of weeks the IRA responded. In a one-line
response they said they were not prepared to talk
about the murder of Mark. The didn’t admit
that their members were involved, but the important
thing is that they didn’t deny it when presented
with the opportunity.
The
obvious question arises of why weren’t they
prepared to talk about it?
Is
it because the murder was so horrific and brutal
that the Shankill Butchers would have been proud
of this nasty piece of work and members of the IRA
just aren’t capable of these actions in their
eyes?
Recently
on RTE Martin McGuiness claimed that the people
of Derry, in his words, ‘would be amazed by
allegations that the IRA were involved in the murder
of Mark Robinson’ …………….
WE CANNOT AGREE MORE! …………..
The IRA were always seen to fight for the people.
Those who live in these estates do not perceive
them to be the type of people that go around in
the middle of the night with twelve-inch daggers
and rusty iron bars looking for vulnerable and defenceless
youths who they can slaughter like some mirror image
of the Shankill butchers.
So
Martin McGuiness is right when he asserts that people
will be amazed to know that members of the IRA could
carry out such barbaric crimes against the very
people they purport to protect.
Our
family is not anti-IRA. We do not seek confrontation
with the IRA but the IRA has treated our family
with utter contempt since this murder and we have
had enough. We have been left with no other option
but to go public with our campaign to get justice
for Mark because of the brick wall of silence that
the IRA has imposed in relation to this murder.
We
are calling on republicans within Sinn Fein and
the IRA to help us achieve justice. The story surrounding
Mark’s killing is common knowledge within this
area and we do not need to go into it again but
we ask all members of the Republican Movement locally
if Mark’s murder is something that they feel
confortable with? Knowing that comrades of their’s
carried it out surely must embarrass them. Surely
genuine republicans can only be repulsed at this
crime because it certainly wasn’t carried out
in pursuit of any political ideals or goals.
We
say to the Republican Movement: make these people
accountable, they bring shame on the cause of Republicanism
and they bring shame on the Republican Movement.
By harbouring them you must realise that this is
damaging to your cause. The integrity of the Republican
Movement is at stake. The selfless sacrifices made
by hundreds of republican volunteers, my brother
included, who freely gave their lives in the struggle
to achieve freedom in Ireland is besmirched and
damaged by the criminal actions of the people who
killed Mark.
As
a family from a Republican background we find it
offensive in the extreme that we have been treated
so badly since this all began. Republicans have
always stood firm against injustices such as state
collusion and the murders of our fellow citizens
on Bloody Sunday. We seek nothing different. WE
ONLY WANT TRUTH AND JUSTICE!
We
want to take this opportunity to appeal to the IRA
to release to our family the results of their investigation
that they promised four years ago. This is long
overdue and it is an absolute disgrace that this
hasn’t happened before now.
Our
family has maintained a dignified and patient silence
since Mark was butchered four years ago. In a community
as big as Galliagh we know that there are people
within this area who seen Mark’s murderers
on the night but we are also aware that there is
a fear that if they came forward with that vital
information they too would be subjected to the type
of repercussions that Mark faced. We want the IRA
to state that anyone coming forward with this vital
evidence that they have nothing to fear from the
IRA.
Finally
to close we wish to again thank everyone for turning
out here tonight and supporting our call for Truth
and Justice.
Your
support is vital to our campaign and it sends a
signal to Mark’s killers that their actions
can not and will not be tolerated within normal
society, Thank you very much.
