Paramilitary punishment attacks return to prominence

On the 16th September of this year, five people were taken to hospital after shots were fired at a house in the Lagmore Avenue area of West Belfast. Then, on the 10th October a man was shot in both legs in West Belfast. On the 29th October a man in his fifties was beaten with crowbars during a paramilitary-style gang attack in East Belfast. Finally, in probably the most severe example, a man suffered horrific leg injuries when fired upon with a shotgun in a bookmaker’s establishment in the Meenan Square area of Derry.

These are just a few examples of violence perpetrated by paramilitaries on members of their own community in the last few months. They share similar attributes such as an emphasis on injuring the legs of victims and a reason for the attack is normally provided stating some form of antisocial behaviour as justification. These attacks also span ethnic boundaries, as both unionist and nationalist communities in Northern Ireland have experienced resurgence in punishment violence in recent times.

There are, however, important differences both in the causes of punishment violence and the manner in which communities are reacting to its prevalence. In predominantly protestant/loyalist areas, paramilitaries periodically use punishment violence against members of their own communities either in an effort to achieve and maintain social control, to support their involvement in crime, or to secure territory from competing loyalist groups. Punishment violence in loyalist communities tends to be tolerated to a greater extent than attacks by republican paramilitaries. This can be explained by the greater pressure placed upon republicans that originates from their presence in the new political dispensation. The extent to which loyalist paramilitaries have been under less political pressure to cease punishment attacks is also matched by the muted response of the media, and to a lesser extent, the reaction of some community groups in relation to incidences of punishment violence in protestant/loyalist areas.

In predominantly catholic/nationalist communities, the increase in punishment violence is connected to an upsurge in the activities of dissident republican groups. Many commentators such as Chief Constable Hugh Orde, believe this increase is linked to events such as the recent paralysis of the Northern Ireland Assembly and stagnation in the proposed bid to devolve policing and justice powers to Northern Ireland. Others, such as Henry McDonald writing in the Guardian, believe Hugh Orde’s view to be over simplistic in its conception of republicanism. Instead, McDonald argues that those who have been signing up to dissident groups are motivated by the same ideologies that fuelled the early years of the conflict:

“Although this foundational ideology has been severely weakened by decades of partition and the changing nature of Irish society, particularly in the south, it still exists and remains attractive to a potentially violent minority of disaffected northern nationalist youth.”

One area, in which dissident groups can appear strong in the eyes of their community, is by using punishment attacks as a rapid response to crime and disorder. Attacks will often result in horrific injury for victims, and evidence of an offence is normally reported by word of mouth, ensuring the possibility of mistaken identity or hidden agendas contributing to an innocent person being subjected to violence. The prospect of fast, retributive justice remains popular to some in communities that have grown accustomed to violence as a solution to a lack of effective community policing throughout the conflict

In the Colin area of West Belfast the resurgence in punishment violence has led to a coalition of community workers, political parties and the local clergy joining forces to condemn the attacks and call for their cessation. The group argue that there is no support within the vast majority of the community for punishment attacks and it has been shown in the past that violence has no effect on levels of anti-social behaviour. This, a view supported by the two acting community-based restorative justice groups in Northern Ireland, both of which, originated as a viable alternative to punishment violence at a time when attacks were endemic.

Community Restorative Justice (CRJ) (in nationalist communities) and Northern Ireland Alternatives (NIA) (in loyalist communities) argue strongly that the only way to tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour is through a process of putting the community at the heart of the criminal justice system, empowering the community in a manner which gives them a voice in how these difficult issues can be tackled. The groups urge members of the community to trust in their human rights based approach to tackling crime and antisocial behaviour rather than taking the destructive path of fuelling further punishment violence.

As a proactive community organisation, CRJ take the issue of community a step further. They believe that community justice is only one piece of the jigsaw that needs to be completed in order to empower communities enough to make paramilitary violence a thing of the past. The organisation lobbies the various statutory agencies to ensure that housing is of an adequate standard, the community is a safe place to live in and young people from the most deprived backgrounds get a good education. Victims of crime in nationalist communities are encouraged to report offences to the police, enabling a proactive relationship which ensures the police are held accountable for crime. These measures are an important contribution to the regeneration of communities where decades of conflict have left a legacy of unemployment, poverty, ill health and lack of self-esteem.

It has long been accepted that paramilitary violence has a detrimental effect on community development and confidence. By supporting the work of groups that are attempting to embrace human rights and empower communities, the people of Northern Ireland can play their part in removing the factors that contribute to a disaffected minority feeling the need to turn to paramilitary violence. Only then can we truly see an end to punishment violence.