Punishment Assaults

EDM number 285 in 1996-97, proposed by Harry Barnes on 03/12/1996.

That this House notes that loyalist and republican so-called punishment assaults with baseball bats and other such weapons have increased from 22 and 40 respectively, in 1991 to 118 and 158, respectively, in 1996 up until 25th November; further notes that the vast majority of these 742 human rights abuses from 1991 to 1996 took place after the loyalist and republican ceasefires were declared in 1994; believes that this vastly increased rate of beatings, which are often very brutal indeed, have little or nothing to do with demands from some local people for vigilante justice and more to do with efforts by terrorist groups to maintain fear and discipline within communities; and urges the Government and all others interested in the search for peace and justice to recognise that this almost daily diet of intimidation is a surer guide to the intentions of paramilitary organisations than their formal attitudes towards decommissioning.

This motion has been signed by a total of 12 MPs.