Monitoring group meets family of Dublin murder victim

The Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) is to include in its next report in January its observations on the murder last April…

The Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC) is to include in its next report in January its observations on the murder last April of Joseph Rafferty by an alleged member of the IRA.

A delegation from the IMC led by Lord Alderdice met members of the dead man's family in Dublin Castle yesterday.

Mr Rafferty's sister, Esther Uzell, told The Irish Times last night she was "very pleased" with how the meeting had gone. She said the three-man delegation indicated they had received information about the murder from other sources.

"We told them what had happened to Joseph and what had happened in the run-up to his murder. We met them for an hour and a half and they listened to everything that we had to say. They said it would be included in their next report," Ms Uzell said.

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Her family had given information about her brother's killing to the IMC which, for legal reasons, they were not in a position to disclose.

The family believes that because the chief suspect has been in the IRA and canvassed for Sinn Féin, the movement has a responsibility to help solve the murder.

Mr Rafferty (29), father of one child, was gunned down in a west Dublin housing estate. He had been told a number of times by members of the family he clashed with that he would be "got" by the IRA.Cllr Dáithí Doolan of Sinn Féin said yesterday the murder was "a cowardly and brutal act", and those responsible must face justice.

Conor Lally

Conor Lally

Conor Lally is Security and Crime Editor of The Irish Times