Press release from IUNVA - M. McAleavy
The statement below is a press release issued by IUNVA about the release of Micheal McAleavy, murderer of three of our comrades in South Lebanon on Tibnin bridge in October 1982.
The Editor,
On behalf of the Irish United nations veterans Assosiation (IUNVA) and the families of Private Peter Burke and Corporal Gregory Morrow, we wish to express our disgust and anger at the transfer of Michael McAleavy from custody in prison in the Republic of Ireland to complete his sentence in Northern Ireland. The decision we are told was made on humanitarian grounds, to allow McAleavy to be close to his family. How close to their families are the three Irish soldiers, who were MURDERED in cold blood on Tibnin Bridge in South Lebanon by someone who was supposed to be a comrade ?
The timing of the transfer, coming as it did on the week of the 25th Anniversary of their deaths, was a further slap in the face for the relatives. A hand delivered letter, slipped into the letter box of the house, without even a knock on the door says a lot about how the system works for the families of the dead soldiers. The fact that the letter arrived at between 12:00 hrs and 13:00 hrs on the 30th October and the transfer had taken place at 08:00 hrs that morning shows a lack of feeling beyond belief on the part of the authorities.
Now that the decisions on McAleavy's future has been passed to another states judicial system, we can only hope that any appeal board he may come before, reads the transcript of evidence from his trial and finds as the jury did, that he was guilty of three murders and deserves nothing less than the life sentence he recieved for each one. On behalf of IUNVA and the comrades of Private's Peter Burke and Thomas Murphy and Corporal gregory Morrow we say to the minister.................. SHAME ON YOU !
Your's in Peace,
Paul Smith National PRO
IUNVA
The Star newspaper 31/10/07.
A further update is that McAleavey has now applied for early release through the Northern Ireland Prison release scheme. This sadly is now out of our hands, Irish justice has spit on the graves of our dead comrades - SHAME !
