The SDLP has called for the Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) to be disbanded following yesterday's court case that found one of its members suffered a campaign of sectarian harassment.
The party's policing spokesman, Mr Alex Attwood, called for an inquiry into the case, in which a Catholic from West Belfast alleged he had been victimised while serving in Portadown, Co Armagh in 1998.
"The very serious allegation that the Ministry of Defence went to extreme lengths to blacken this person's character and work must mean an inquiry into senior officers and officials leading to disciplinary or criminal offences with dismissal and other penalties as a consequence," said Mr Attwood, MLA for West Belfast.
The Equality Tribunal found the Ministry of Defence was responsible for the abuse suffered by Private Patrick Murphy (33), who was so traumatised that he tried to kill himself with car exhaust fumes.
He said that after finding out he was a Catholic, fellow soldiers placed sectarian notes and live bullets in his locker, subjected him to vicious sectarian taunts and made threatening phone calls to his family.
Mr Attwood added: "[The case] is further evidence if further evidence was needed that a locally recruited regiment of the British Army should have no future in security in the north and it is further confirmation of why people should not join the RIR."
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