The Sinn Fein president and the party's chief negotiator, Mr Martin McGuinness, have snubbed a meeting with the Northern Secretary to discuss "punishment" attacks. The party was represented by less senior members.
Dr Mo Mowlam had called separate meetings yesterday to urge Sinn Fein and the loyalist parties to help to end the beatings, which have increased notably in recent weeks. She reminded the parties of their responsibilities under the terms of the Belfast Agreement.
The meetings took place as the latest victim was treated in hospital. The 18-year-old man suffered bruising to his head and face in an attack by three masked men in Rasharkin, Co Antrim.
According to Families Against Intimidation and Terror, the Provisional IRA has shot four people and beaten up 12 in the past month and loyalists are responsible for six shootings and 15 beatings.
But it is understood the Northern Secretary did not issue ultimatums to the parties that they would face expulsion from the political process if attacks continued.
FAIT spokesman Mr Vincent McKenna said Dr Mowlam should have taken a tougher stance. "A slap on the wrist is no good for murderers and mutilators. The paramilitaries don't need any more time. They have had every opportunity to address this issue. These attacks have been continuing, indeed increasing, since the ceasefires of 1994."
Sinn Fein claimed it had been unaware Dr Mowlam wished to concentrate on this single issue during yesterday's meeting, rather than discuss the wider peace process. The two Sinn Fein leaders sent party colleagues Mr Alex Maskey and Ms Bairbre de Brun.
Mr McGuinness said there were other fundamental matters to deal with such as the implementation of the Belfast Agreement, RUC "harassment" of nationalists, and sectarian attacks by loyalists against nationalists.
"There must not be a single focus but an overall, comprehensive focus," he said. Sinn Fein was opposed to such attacks but while the community had no faith in the RUC it was "inevitable some people would resort to summary justice", he added.
During the meeting, Mr Maskey told Dr Mowlam his party was working with State agencies to try to end the attacks but there must be a new police force that nationalists could approach with confidence.
The Northern Secretary also met the Progressive Unionist Party, the UVF's political wing, and the Ulster Democratic Party, the UDA's political wing. Speaking afterwards, Mr David Ervine of the PUP, said Dr Mowlam had shown "disquiet" over the rise in "punishment" attacks.
Asked if she had given his party an ultimatum, he said: "No, I don't take ultimatums from anybody, including the Secretary of State." Mr Ervine said the PUP regarded the shootings and beatings as "immoral and reprehensible" and he appealed to loyalists to report incidents to the RUC, not the paramilitaries.
His party colleague, Mr Billy Hutchinson, accused Dr Mowlam of acting "selfishly" and said there were plenty of other important issues to discuss.
The UDP leader, Mr Gary McMichael, said his party was doing all it could to encourage people to take their problems to the RUC. All political leaders had a responsibility to oppose these attacks and to try to end "the subculture of summary justice".
The Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, Mr Andrew Mackay, welcomed the meeting. He said it followed pressure from the British Conservative Party in the face of "dangerously complacent" responses by Mr Blair and Dr Mowlam to demands for action on "punishment" attacks.
"Unfortunately, the government has already released too many prisoners - nearly 250 - without any compensatory moves on decommissioning and a complete end to paramilitary violence," he said.
The Liberal Democrat spokesman, Lord Holme, said "punishment" attacks were entirely against the spirit of the Belfast Agreement and if they did not stop would "derail the whole process".