Northern Ireland Secretary Owen Paterson there was no evidence that the murder of Rosemary Nelson was “directly facilitated” by the RUC, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), the British army or the Security Service.
“We cannot exclude the possibility of a rogue member or members of the RUC or the army in some way assisting the murderers to target Rosemary Nelson,” he said.
"If Rosemary Nelson had been given advice about her safety and offered security measures, then assuming that she had accepted such advice and security measures, the risk to her life and her vulnerability would have been reduced.”
Speaking in the House of Commons, Mr Paterson said: “I am profoundly sorry that omissions by the state rendered Rosemary Nelson more at risk and more vulnerable. It is also deeply regrettable that despite a very thorough police investigation no-one has been charged for this terrible crime.”
He said he hoped the inquiry into the “despicable and cowardly murder” had brought a “measure of resolution” to Ms Nelson’s family.
Turning to the police, he said the report found that “some members of the RUC publicly abused and assaulted Rosemary Nelson on the Garvaghy Road in Portadown in 1997, having the effect of legitimising her as a target.”
The inquiry also found there was “some leakage of intelligence which we believe found its way outside the RUC” and that “the leakage increased the danger to Rosemary Nelson’s life”.
RUC Special Branch “failed to take into account all the intelligence and the open information available to them” and RUC management “negligently failed to intervene to prevent their officers from uttering abuse and threats to defence solicitors, including Rosemary Nelson”.
Mr Paterson said the report found that the NIO “did not press the RUC hard enough for full replies to their questions concerning Rosemary Nelson’s personal security”.
PA