Youth suicide scandal in Ireland there is also an unknown factor

February 16, 2004

Paramilitary 'link' to deaths

Father Troy said the situation was " almost out of control "

Republican paramilitaries are being linked to an alarming rise in

suicides among young people in north Belfast.

Since the beginning of the year, 13 people have taken their lives in

the area, according to north Belfast priest Father Aidan Troy.

At the weekend, the body of an 18-year-old youth was found in the

grounds of Holy Cross Church in Ardoyne, hours after the funeral of

another teenager who had taken his own life.

Father Troy described the statistics as " terrifying " .

Bernard Cairns' body was removed from scaffolding at the church by

Father Troy on Saturday afternoon.

His best friend O'Neill, also 18, died last week and his

funeral Mass was held at the church earlier that day.

There is no role for anybody to be judge, jury and punisher in

this community, they have a mandate from nobody

Father Aidan Troy

Father Troy said the situation was " almost out of control " .

" I think there is a huge feeling in the community that there is a

huge link being drawn between paramilitary beatings, punishments and

threats and the deterioration in the mental health of some of the

young ones that have taken their own lives, " he said.

" There was a spontaneous meeting last night which drew in excess of

100 people which I see as the beginning of people saying they want

this to stop, and to stop now.

" I have been calling for a clear statement that there is no role for

anybody to be judge, jury and punisher in this community, they have

a mandate from nobody. "

Father Troy said the feeling in the area was that the Irish National

Liberation Army was responsible for a growing number of paramilitary

attacks on young people in the area.

The paramilitary group declared itself to be on ceasefire in August

1998.

Number of factors

However, Little, of the IRSP, which is the political wing of

the INLA, said it was wrong to blame the paramilitaries.

When asked on BBC Radio Ulster about the paramilitary-style

assaults, Mr Little said: " If you're asking the question directly,

do I believe that the INLA is directly responsible for these young

men deaths, I'm telling you I don't believe that they are. "

He said he did not speak for the INLA and was " not going to attempt

to now " .

Father Troy has said there is every chance that Mr O'Neill would not

be the last young person from the community to take their own life.

" I hope I don't hear this again but if somebody was to phone me

again and say there was another one I have got to say I would not be

surprised, " he said.

" I'm not sure what is happening, I think there are a number of

factors coming together. I don't think there is one simple cause

because if there was there are people, surely, who would be able to

move in to stop it.

" I think there is the whole question of the influence of

paramilitaries, drugs, alcohol, and decades of deprivation.

" There is nothing here and there is also an unknown factor which I

totally believe in and that is that every suicide is different.

" Even though the factors may be common I think the person who does

this takes some secret with them to the grave. "

February 16, 2004