IRA victim's family failed by RUC probe into murder, says damning report

6 Feb

JESSICA RICE, Belfast Telegraph, February 6th, 2026

POLICE DIDN'T PURSUE KEY LINES OF INQUIRY AFTER 1975 KILLING OF UDR MAN BERTIE FRAZER: WATCHDOG

The RUC investigation into the murder of a Co Armagh man failed his family, a report has said.

The Police Ombudsman found the original probe into the IRA killing of Bertie Frazer (47) had not pursued key lines of inquiry, and was “a stark example of limited police record management”.

The victim was shot dead in 1975 while leaving a farm near Whitecross where he often worked for a neighbour. The council worker, a part-time member of the UDR, was married with nine children.

One of his sons was the late victims' campaigner Willie Frazer.

The family made complaints to the watchdog in 2013, 2014 and 2016.

Despite the absence of significant records, the report, filed by Marie Anderson before her retirement in December, detailed concerns about aspects of the investigation, including the junior rank of the officer leading the murder probe, witness and suspect strategies, the disposal of a murder weapon, and the lack of engagement with the family.

She found the initial police response to the killing was “prompt and reflected the standards of the day”.

However, the relevant archived RUC material was limited in scope and detail, providing only a partial account of the circumstances of the murder and subsequent police investigation.

Key lines of inquiry not pursued

The report said it appeared key lines of inquiry were not pursued.

It added Mr Frazer was a victim of sectarian violence, and the Provisional IRA alone was responsible. She concluded that, from the failings identified, Mr Frazer's family was let down by the RUC investigation into his murder.

In response, PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Anthony McNally said: “Bertie Frazer was an innocent father of nine children murdered in a sickening sectarian attack.

“The pain of such a devastating loss does not fade and my thoughts today are with the Frazer family, who I met recently with the Chief Constable.

“We will take time to study the findings of this report which highlights the investigative failures, poor record management and a lack of engagement with Mr Frazer's family by police.

“Policing has developed enormously over the past 50 years and the PSNI has greatly improved policies and procedures which guide how we approach criminal investigations today."

Mr Frazer was shot by two attackers while reversing out of the farm's driveway. The gunmen then pulled their victim from his car and left him lying on the side of road before driving off in the vehicle.

He was found a short time later and taken to Daisy Hill Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The 'South Armagh Republican Action Force' admitted responsibility fir the attack, saying it was in retaliation for the murders of Sean Farmer and Colm McCartney.

They been shot dead at an illegal checkpoint near Newtownhamilton a week earlier.

No one has ever been prosecuted for Mr Frazer's murder.

Joe Frazer, on behalf of the Frazer family, said: "The Police Ombudsman report today has confirmed our worst fears, that the police investigation into our father's murder failed at every level.

“We have been vindicated in raising a complaint with the Ombudsman's Office.”

More than 4,100 apply for latest PSNI roles

CONNLA YOUNG CRIME AND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, Irish News, February 6th, 2026

MORE than 4,100 people have applied to join the PSNI following its latest recruitment drive, with around 28% from the Catholic community.

At present, Catholics make up 31.5% of police officers, with those from a Protestant background representing 67%.

The leadership of the PSNI, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, has been under pressure over the number of Catholics in its ranks.

A Policing Board member has described the percentage of Catholics among the applicants as “worrying.”

Speaking at a Policing Board meeting on Thursday, Chief Constable Jon Boutcher confirmed his force received more than 4,100 applications during the recent recruitment round.

It’s understood around 28% of the applicants are from a Catholic background. “Much of the commentary regarding the recruitment campaign focused on the number of candidates from a Catholic background,” he said.

“I want us to represent all the communities we serve. We need to do everything we can to attract a diverse pool of candidates.

“But it’s evident….we cannot do this on our own.

“We need all of Northern Ireland’s communities to see policing as the remarkable career that it is.”

The PSNI was established after the Independent Commission on Policing for Northern Ireland, chaired by Chris Patten, introduced wide-ranging reforms in the years after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Latest statistics on PSNI recruitment ‘worrying’

Under Patten’s recommendations, 50:50 recruitment, which was scrapped in 2011, was intended to level up the numbers of Catholic and Protestants in the police.

Figures presented to the Policing Board suggest the number of Catholic PSNI officers will drop to 23% over the next ten years

In recent months, the SDLP has called for a ‘Patten Two’ style review of policing in the north, while retired Superintendent Gerry Murray, a former chair of the PSNI’s Catholic Guild, has spoken of the need for a ‘cultural review’.

Mr Boutcher said he was concerned by criticism of the PSNI.

Dissidents still a barrier to recruitment

“I am deeply concerned by persistent and often unjustified criticism, alongside the outdated and unsupported views of dissident paramilitaries, which remain as a barrier to people seeing themselves as having a career in the police,” he said.

The senior officer added he is happy to debate the issues.

“I am very happy to have an open debate regarding policing, what’s good about it, what’s bad about it, and how we can continue to improve.”

Policing Board member Colin McGrath raised concerns about the latest recruitment statistics.

“The figures presented are worrying because they highlight that the trend is downward for Catholic representation in the PSNI,” he said.

“If we want to have a truly representative police service then we need to see urgent attention for this and a plan to address it.

“The chief constable himself said recently that there would need to be difficult choices. I would endorse that and it may mean seeing a return to 50:50 policing to help rebalance the numbers.

“It’s important that we do all we can urgently to arrest this decline in representation.”

Deputy Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said the return of 50:50 recruitment would limit the intake of new officers.

“Our very, very rough projections would be that if there was political agreement, first of all for 50:50 and it was to happen, we think the maximum we could lift off an intake would probably be 480.

“And that would be 250 Catholic officers and then Protestant other in the other category, and we need 650 a year.

“So, it would present an immediate threat to the kind of recovery plan, if you like, as much as anything else.”

Security threat level could be downgraded to ‘moderate’ for first time

CONNLA YOUNG CRIME and SECURITY CORRESPONDENT, Irish News, January 6th, 2026

PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher has said the security threat could be downgraded to ‘moderate’ in the coming years.

The current paramilitary threat level is assessed at “substantial”, meaning an “attack is likely”.

The threat level was lowered from ‘severe’, which means “an attack is highly likely”, in 2024.

A ‘moderate’ evaluation is the second lowest on a scale of five and indicates “an attack is possible, but not likely”.

Mr Boutcher was speaking during a meeting of the Policing Board yesterday.

Current threat levels are assessed by The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), which is based within MI5. That group brings together representatives from British intelligence agencies, police and government departments, who work closely with the spy agency.

While occasional paramilitary attacks, including a shooting of a man in north Belfast last week by Óglaigh na hÉireann, still take place, in recent years the number of republican attacks on the security forces have been in sharp decline.

Last year, it emerged there had been no “security related” deaths in the north in a calendar year for the first time since records began in the late 1960s.

Mr Boutcher made his threat level comments while speaking about PSNI recruitment, during which he mentioned attending a school event with former PSNI deputy chief constable and Garda commissioner Drew Harris.

The former Operation Kenova chief said attempts were made to disrupt the event and went on to discuss ongoing paramilitary activity.

“What we have managed to do in achieving, the addressing of a lot of paramilitary activity, is outstanding,” he said.

“We look at the data, we have gone from severe to substantial in threat level.

“I think there’s every chance that we could go to moderate in the next handful of years. “That’s normalisation. “And we have got to make sure….we put long term fixes in. That’s what we are seeking to do.”

Publication of PSNI officers' names on court list not data breach, says Boutcher

... BUT CHIEF ADDS THEY WERE ENTITLED TO THEIR ANONYMITY

ABDULLAH SABRI, Belfast Telegraph, February 6th, 2026

Publishing the names of police officers on the courts website was “not a data breach” but they were “entitled to their anonymity”, the Chief Constable has said.

Jon Boutcher added that the incident was not due to failure by the PSNI and defended the Department of Justice (DoJ).

He was speaking during a Policing Board meeting after officer names were published on the NI Courts and Tribunals Service (NICTS) website on Tuesday evening. It is understood that around 41 officers were affected.

It follows a major data breach in 2023, when the details of around 10,000 officers and civilian staff were accidentally published online, leading to security fears.

Earlier this week, the PSNI made an offer of £7,500 each in compensation for the 2023 breach.

‘Long established practice’

The Chief Constable explained that the publication of names on the courts website is a “long-established” process.

“This is not a data breach and this was not a result of any failure by the PSNI,” he said.

“Names appearing on a court list is a long-established position in all legal proceedings unless an anonymity order is in place to present this. To have an anonymity order in any ongoing or future court proceedings, a request for such an order has to be made through a court.”

In response to a backlash from MLAs following the publication, the DoJ said it removed them immediately “as a precautionary measure”. It said court details, other than those relating to family proceedings, are “routinely listed publicly online unless subject to specific directions of the court upon application by a legal representative or parties to proceedings”.

“It is the responsibility of the legal representative or parties to proceedings to make this application.”

Mr Boutcher thanked the NICTS for swiftly responding to the issue and asserted that it was neither their fault nor the DoJ's.

“This was an unfortunate and unnecessary incident and I realise will have caused frustration,” Mr Boutcher continued.

“We do need to achieve a position where the names of police officers being shown in such a way does not cause alarm or distress. Our officers give evidence without anonymity all the time.

“As front-line officers they provide their names to community groups and to victims. Countless officers and staff have public facing roles across the organisation.” But he added: “I recognise in these legal proceedings, those officers were entitled to their anonymity and I hope they have not been too distressed by the events of this week.”

Online spat

UUP justice spokesperson Doug Beattie and Justice Minister Naomi Long were involved in an online spat following reports of the publication.

Taking to X, Mr Beattie called Ms Long's department “a disaster” as he pointed out that media outlets frequently conceal the identity of PSNI officers for security reasons.

It prompted Ms Long to reply, insisting that there is a process in place through the courts. She added that “it requires the legal representative to apply for anonymity and a judge to grant it”.

SDLP MLA Colin McGrath said the latest incident will cause further distress to officers and their families.

“This is yet another reminder that current procedures for handling sensitive data across government departments and arm's length bodies are not fit for purpose,” he added.

Meanwhile, Police Federation chair Liam Kelly said it “appears to be another avoidable and embarrassing error”.

Some staff are 'abusing ill health retirement', warns Chief Constable

ABDULLAH SABRI, Belfast Telegraph, February 6th, 2026

Some PSNI staff are “clogging up the system” through abuse of ill health retirement, the Chief Constable has said.

Jon Boutcher was speaking during a meeting of the Policing Board, which examined representation and recruitment drives in the service ahead of its 25th anniversary.

The issue of ill health within the PSNI was raised by the former Director of Law Centre NI, Les Allamby.

Mr Allamby pointed to a figure in a recent accountability report which showed over half of all sickness absence for police officers was on psychological grounds.

“But access to occupational health for trauma and psychological related care remains a work in progress and is flagged as a significant and substantial risk,” he added.

In response, Mr Boutcher listed a number of programmes that offer support to officer wellbeing and said that the service takes it “incredibly seriously”.

However, he warned that “we have people abusing the system” which is incurring costs on public funds.

The Chief Constable said: “I've been very clear with everybody on that. We have people abusing the ill health retirement system. If anybody doesn't think that's the case, you are deluded.

‘Clogging up system’

“And we have got to address that, because it's not fair on those people who need the support that they can't then get, because these other people are literally clogging up the system. And people, it feels to me, aren't going out in any normal retirement in the PSNI, they're all going out in ill health. Well, that's nonsense.

“And there's some regulatory stuff we need to do with the department. And there's some stuff I think we need to do with the board to come up with ways that we can actually address this, because it's costing us far too much public money.”

He added: “And the people who tell me most about this are our workforce, because they're with these people. They're the ones that tell me about this.”

Patrick Nelson, another independent member of the Policing Board, also cited the accountability report which noted that the average number of sick days taken by staff per year is 19.8 days.

He added: “It's 6.4 days more per year even than the NI Civil Service, which I thought was a staggering number, at 13.4. So, deployability being just over 75%, clearly we all need to make more significant progress in this area.”

The Chief Constable acknowledged the figures but suggested the figures were lower due to ill health retirement numbers “skewing” the data, while noting that sickness absences have been on a downward trend since his arrival.

Mr Boutcher clarified that the sick leave among civilian police staff is lower compared to the NI Civil Service.

In 2024/25 figures show that 264 officers took at least one day off work for anxiety compared to 163 in 2021/22.

Meanwhile, 102 officers took at least one day off work for PTSD in 2024/25, up from 52 in 2021/2022.

Striking criminal barristers need to meet me halfway - Long

REBECCA BLACK, Belfast Telegraph, February 6th, 2026

JUSTICE MINISTER TELLS MLAS ABOUT IMPACT OF COURT DELAYS ON VICTIMS

Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long has said that criminal barristers taking part in strike action “need to meet her halfway”.

A number of high-profile court cases have been impacted by the criminal barristers withdrawing some services in a long-running dispute over fees for legal aid cases.

The escalated action has effectively halted crown court cases involving those who require legal aid.

Ms Long told the Northern Ireland Assembly's Justice Committee that she does not accept the withdrawal of service is “either ethical or meets the barristers' own code of conduct”.

She also emphasised to MLAs that her department has assessed it is set to face stabilisation pressures for day-to-day running costs amounting to £101 million in 2026-27, rising to £141 million in 2027-28 and £215 million in 2028-29.

She described the prospect as “catastrophic for the justice system”, adding: “It is difficult to see how my department will manage to live within budget”.

“It is disappointing that the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) decided to increase pressures on the system,” she told MLAs, adding that the action “gives rise to additional costs”.

Impact on victims

Ms Long also said the impact of the court delays due to the action on victims and witnesses “cannot be overstated”.

She said she remains “determined to make progress”, and had been hopeful of a positive outcome, but said the CBA had rejected a proposal she put forward. “Officials are meeting the representatives of the Bar Council this afternoon, so I can't say much more at this stage, but please be assured work is intensive and proceeding at pace, and that this is a priority for me,” she added.

Ms Long went on: “If the argument has been that there is a lack of trust, then I'm willing to work to restore that trust, but that requires them to meet me halfway.

“And for me to invest further resources in an expedited process with no promise of a full return to service is something that I simply couldn't countenance.”

Committee chair Paul Frew put to Ms Long that trust in the justice system at a “very low ebb”, particularly to the families impacted by delayed court cases, including the family of murder victim Chloe Mitchell.

Ms Long said she will be meeting the Mitchell family in the coming days.

“I've met with many victims and witnesses, and I've been very clear with them that I do not accept that what is happening as a result of this withdrawal of service is either ethical or meets the barrister's own code of conduct,” she said.

“The withdrawal of service from existing cases is not permissible under the bar's code of conduct, and yet that is what is happening.

“Their their pain and their grief and their trauma is being leveraged in order to try to extract more financial benefits for barristers from the department. I have been clear all along that I want to resolve this.

“The most recent offer, I thought, was eminently sensible and reasonable. But I can't account for the internal dynamics within the CBA and the committee, so that's work they have to do.”

RICS chief says O’Dowd’s rates u-turn ‘not in north’s long-term interest’

JOHN MANLEY POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, Irish News, February 6th, 2026

THE finance minister’s suspension of the non-domestic rates revaluation is “not in the interests of Northern Ireland”, the head of the surveyors’ representative body has said.

RICS’ (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) chair Brian Reid said John O’Dowd’s u-turn under pressure from the hospitality industry “risks creating a deeper and more enduring problem for the integrity and fairness of the rating system”.

The process was halted last month one week after draft property revaluations were published by Land & Property Services.

Some hospitality businesses said their rates bills were due to rise by as much as 300% and Mr O’Dowd faced a lobby campaign based on the creation of a £17.20 ‘John O’Dowd pint’

Mr O’Dowd has said he will consider alternatives to the revaluation, which was due to come into effect on April 1.

Earlier this week, after meeting representatives of the hospitality sector, he said he would “look at any alternative methodology proposals that people want to offer”.

Mr Reid said the minister’s decision to pause the process was “understandable” given the immediate difficulties faced by the hospitality industry.

However, he warned that the precedent of suspending the revaluation in response to sectoral pressure “invites further political intervention into what is a rules-based and evidence-led process”.

“Whilst the intent of the minister’s decision is understandable – ie providing relief to sectors currently experiencing significant challenges – doing so risks creating a deeper and more enduring problem for the integrity and fairness of the rating system,” Mr Reid said.

“I believe pausing the reval is therefore not in the interests of Northern Ireland, its people and its businesses as a whole.”

He said the decision had caused “uncertainty”.

“Investors, developers, owners and occupiers rely on predictability in the tax system when making long-term decisions,” the RICS chair said.

“If established processes can be paused or altered at short notice, confidence is weakened and the business environment becomes less certain.”

Mr Reid urged the minister to reconsider the decision and to instead look at other ways of providing support to the hospitality sector.

“We have written to the minister and would welcome the opportunity to meet with him and his officials to discuss these issues in more detail and highlight the criticality of protecting the integrity of the rating system,” he said.

Jamie Bryson has poison... I have a law: Irish commissioner

BILL BREATHNACH, Belfast Telegraph, February 6th, 2026

The Irish language commissioner has slammed Jamie Bryson for displaying “poison and enmity” towards his office and accused him of unlawfully using the legal system to delay his work.

Last Wednesday, Mr Bryson was granted permission to intervene in a High Court legal challenge that the Irish language group Conradh na Gaeilge (the Gaelic League) is taking against the Executive and the Communities Minister.

The organisation claims that the Executive and the DUP minister have failed to fulfil their legal duties under the St Andrews Agreement by failing to implement an Irish language strategy.

The High Court has twice ruled previously, in 2017 and again in 2022, that Stormont is in breach of its obligation to adopt a strategy.

The continued failure contravenes the 1998 Northern Ireland Act, successive judges have ruled, prompting the fresh proceedings.

However, Mr Bryson was granted “participant status” in the case due to the potential for overlap and delay to his own legal challenge against bilingual signage at Belfast's Grand Central Station.

A judge in the High Court said that a plan would be made next month on how the two legal challenges would be dealt with.

Commissioner Pól Deeds was approached by this publication and was asked about the title of a well-known Irish children's song 'An bhFaca Tú Mo Shéamaisín?' (which translates to 'Did you see my little Jamie?') in relation to recent comments made by the loyalist activist online.

In response, Mr Deeds said: “I'm not going to say a word about that person. I don't even want his name in my mouth. I know that the applicant in the court case involving the Grand Central Station is saying quite a lot on social media at the moment, and there are a few other people in political life saying extremely negative things about me, and about the Act, and about the Office of the Commissioner, and about the Irish language in general.

“He is going through these court cases, week after week, and I don't know how he has the support he has… I do not myself believe that this is entirely lawful and I will be questioning that.

“I believe this is happening to assist a particular political viewpoint that is opposed to Irish. I do not believe it is in the public interest, as this person claims.

“Although he has poison and enmity, I have a law, and I will do my best to enforce that law.

“They understand that they cannot put a complete stop to things, but they are certainly trying to delay things. And there is every chance that they will succeed, as it is clear that support is being given to that particular person from somewhere.”

Conradh na Gaeilge was also granted “participant status” in the case being taken by Mr Bryson.

Furthermore, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn, signed a commencement order last Wednesday in relation to provisions for the Irish language in the Identity and Language Act.

Commissioner has powers to draft standards

This means that the commissioner now has powers to draft standards of best practice and to provide advice, support and guidance on the use of Irish in public life.

Although Mr Deeds was appointed as commissioner in October, until now he has only had basic administrative powers over his own office.

Mr Deeds said: “Now it has been clarified by the Secretary of State, and by the Northern Ireland Office, and by the Westminster Parliament itself, that I have the power to begin consultations with people regarding the standards of best practice.

“The reason this is important is people are probably aware that there are certain people in political life who appear to be opposed to the promotion of the Irish language. Those people are questioning the impact I will have, and the powers that I have.”

However, the commissioner also said that work still remains to be done regarding the actual legal status of Irish in Northern Ireland.

Under the Identity and Language Act, official recognition is given to “the status of the Irish language”; however, this is not the same as Irish being recognised as an official language.

Mr Deeds said: “We are not one bit clearer. All that exists is a clear intention from the Government saying that they officially recognise the status of the language.

“It is a certain step forward, but it is still unclear in terms of what that status actually means.

“I will have to comb through that with people in the legal world in order to obtain legal advice on that issue. There is even a chance that I myself will be involved in defining that.”

Mr Bryson said he would wear Mr Deeds' attack “as a badge of honour”.

He said: “I would encourage Mr Deeds to breathe. This outburst demonstrates the frustration he appears to be feeling in so far as that, contrary to his anticipation, he is not finding himself able to aggressively foist the Irish language upon public life in a disproportionate way.

“The tone of the outburst is very unbecoming for an official commissioner. He speaks of the law but, by his analysis, demonstrates he fails to understand it in even the most elementary terms.

“The bizarre nature of the outburst is best confirmed by the fact he seemingly suggests it is unlawful to use the law. That makes little sense. And, in any event, all these issues are determined by an independent judiciary, unless Mr Deeds is now effectively saying the judiciary are improperly conspiring with me, which would be quite the allegation?

“I will continue to use the law to challenge the aggressive imposition of Irish language. Mr Deeds may be frustrated that he is working out that he has far less power than he believed he would have, but that seems, to me, to be his problem.

“I wear it as a badge of honour to be subject to robust attack from the Irish language commissioner. If we were having no impact, he wouldn't be so enraged.”

Meanwhile, TUV member Ann McClure, who is the party's equality spokesperson, is currently taking a legal challenge against Belfast City Council's draft Irish language policy.

Ms McClure claims that the decision-making procedure followed by the council in relation to this policy breaches laws relating to the protection of minority interests. Lawyers for Ms McClure, while speaking in the High Court last week, said that the council's approach was similar to an approach taken in Louisiana in the 1930s.

Cahill praises PM as 'decent man' despite 'questionable judgment' over Mandelson

BRETT CAMPBELL, Belfast Telegraph, February 6th, 2026

IN 2015, THEN-DPP SIR KEIR LED REVIEW INTO CASES OF ALLEGED IRA RAPE VICTIMS

The Prime Minister remains “a very decent man” with a reputation for fighting for abuse victims, Mairia Cahill has said as Sir Keir Starmer clings on to power amid the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

However, Ms Cahill questioned his judgment for bringing Peter Mandelson back to frontline politics.

Sir Keir led a review which in 2015 found that Ms Cahill — the niece of former IRA chief Joe Cahill — and two other women who made allegations of rape and an IRA cover-up had been let down by prosecutors in Belfast.

But yesterday, the Labour leader found himself apologising to the victims of sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein for believing Lord Mandelson's “lies” and appointing him the UK's ambassador to the US.

Ms Cahill, who claims republican paramilitaries conducted their own inquiry into her allegations and forced her to appear before a 'kangaroo court' to confront her alleged attacker, accused the former Director of Public Prosecutions of making “a questionable decision”.

But the former Irish senator doesn't believe “it came from a place of malice”.

“The allegations around Mandelson were that he had associated with Epstein post-conviction — in the same vein as George Mitchell had — and he denied that,” she said.

“Really, the onus is on Mandelson.

“I think it's poor judgment to appoint him to any position, because this is a man who had to resign from cabinet twice over different issues. He's someone who has been marred in controversy previously.”

Mandelson was forced to leave his first cabinet position as trade and industry secretary in 1998 after just five months for failing to declare a home loan from Labour millionaire Geoffrey Robinson to his building society.

Within a year he returned to the front benches of Tony Blair's Government after being appointed Northern Ireland Secretary. But he was forced to quit again, over claims that he helped top Indian businessman Srichand Hinduja with an application for UK citizenship.

Despite being nicknamed 'the Prince of Darkness', the Labour peer was appointed by the PM as the UK's top diplomat to the US in December 2024, but was sacked nine months later when damning details emerged of his close ties with the paedophile financier Epstein.

New revelations have sparked calls from Sir Keir's own MPs, as well as from the leader of the Conservative Party, for him to resign over the scandal.

‘I am sorry for what was done to you.’

“None of us knew the depths and the darkness of that relationship,” the PM insisted yesterday, as he addressed victims directly.

“I am sorry for what was done to you. Sorry that so many people with power failed you. Sorry for having believed Mandelson's lies and appointed him, and sorry that even now you're forced to watch this story unfold in public once again.”

Drawing a distinction between someone who just happens to know an individual later exposed as an abuser and those who side with perpetrators after allegations are made, Ms Cahill said Mandelson's denial of maintaining links with Epstein after his 2008 conviction for soliciting sex from a 14-year-old girl meant Sir Keir had to “make a call. And that is: is this person telling the truth or not? That's where the poor judgment comes in. But I suppose it's also indicative of his decency. I think it's regrettable, the position he now finds himself in. But he didn't deal with me as a prime minister. He dealt with me as an independent investigator. And having seen the way in which he interacted with me, I think he will be personally devastated. This is not someone who willingly tramples on victims, like some in political life do. I do think that he actually does care.”

Sir Keir promised that he will “not allow the powerful to treat justice as optional” and vowed to “pursue the truth” and “uphold the integrity of public life”.

“We will do everything within our power and in the interests of justice to ensure accountability is delivered,” he said.

“That is what the public expects. That is what the victims deserve. And it is what I will do.”

Ms Cahill said the PM is “not particularly ruthless”, which she hailed as a great human quality but a “drawback” in the political arena — which “probably sums up the Mandelson thing”.

Reacting to claims that Epstein visited Hillsborough Castle on at least one occasion, Ms Cahill described the outcry as “a red herring” in the absence of evidence of impropriety.

She said: “People would be probably better served if they have a look around them, both in politics and other social fields, to see how cases of child sex abuse and cover-ups could be robustly dealt with. The FBI is already dealing with the Epstein stuff; we have our own problem of human trafficking and allegations of child abuse.”

The former politician, who previously rejected a “woefully inadequate” apology from Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald for how the party handled her allegation of rape, said the Epstein scandal has exposed a lot of “hypocrisy”.

Ms Cahill said: “Some people up in arms about Epstein don't look in their own backyard. I've seen people outraged about the Epstein files who find it hard to summon the same outrage over difficult cases closer to home. It amazes me the amount of abuse I am still receiving from people who are outraged about what happened to Virginia Giuffre and others. But people tailor their reactions to their politics.

“It's hard for people to put their own prejudices aside when accusations are made against people they support or like.”

Ahern claims links between Mitchell and Epstein ‘unclear’

CILLIAN SHERLOCK, Irish News, February 6th, 2026

THE nature of the connection between George Mitchell and disgraced paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein is “not clear”, former Irish premier Bertie Ahern has said.

There are references to Mr Mitchell in the latest Epstein files released by US authorities, including apparent attempts to arrange a meeting with the former US senator in 2013.

Mr Mitchell has denied all wrongdoing and has expressed regret for ever having known Epstein.

Mr Ahern also described Lord Peter Mandelson, whose connections with Epstein have heaped pressure on UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, as a “tricky guy to deal with”.

The former taoiseach worked with Mr Mitchell in the negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement, and with Lord Mandelson when he was secretary of state for Northern Ireland.

Queens University Belfast has removed a bust of Mr Mitchell, who was chancellor of the institution from 1999 to 2009, from its grounds.

A spokesperson for Mr Mitchell told the BBC on Monday: “Senator Mitchell profoundly regrets ever having known Jeffrey Epstein and condemns, without reservation, the horrific harm Epstein inflicted on so many women.”

‘Did not at any time observe, suspect or have any knowledge of’ any ‘inappropriate conduct’

The spokesperson said Mr Mitchell did not at any time observe, suspect or have any knowledge of Epstein engaging in “illegal or inappropriate conduct with underage women”.

In an interview with Newstalk Breakfast on Thursday, Mr Ahern said he had examined the matter closely as he knew Mr Mitchell “very well” for decades.

He said: “I don’t see what he has done – there’s a few emails which are unclear whether they were coming from him or they were coming from Epstein, so that’s not clear.”

He added: “I haven’t been across five million documents, so I don’t know what’s in it but all I can say is that it looks as if Epstein met half the world and he was trying to interact with half the world.”

Mr Ahern said it appeared there were a few “back-andforth” emails between the two men, but added: “God knows what they were about.

“I don’t see what George Mitchell is being accused of, it’s not clear to me.”

He said the nature of redactions in the FBI files meant it was unclear to him if they maintained contact after 2008 – the year in which Epstein was convicted for soliciting a minor.

Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern and George Mitchell

“If he did, he shouldn’t have – but it’s not clear,” he added.

In the same interview, Mr Ahern said that Lord Mandelson’s contacts with Epstein are a “big problem” for the Prime Minister.

Sir Keir appointed Lord Mandelson as British ambassador to Washington in 2024. He was sacked last year following an earlier release of Epstein files.

Following further releases, a criminal investigation has been launched into allegations Lord Mandelson passed market-sensitive information to Epstein.

Mr Ahern said: “I think Starmer is in a real difficulty because he knew that he carried on these contacts – that’s bad enough I suppose.

“The bigger thing is that he was exchanging information at that level and now they’re going to look at what he was at in his time as ambassador.

“It is fairly extraordinary to put him in one of the most senior positions in Washington – the UK ambassador – when you knew his track record.

“He’s been fired more times than most people would have in two lifetimes.”

Mr Ahern said the “stakes could not be higher” for the Prime Minister due to Cabinet confidentiality.

He added: “Giving away any information to third parties, giving any information outside of the jurisdiction, giving it to somebody with Epstein’s record, I mean, it’s almost unbelievable.”

Mr Ahern reflected on his own experiences with the former Northern Ireland secretary: “Mandelson, to be at my most polite, was a tricky guy to deal with. You really had to check everything and double check everything.

“I dealt with several secretaries of state – most of them straightforward, most of them up front, most of them give you the line fairly straight. But I’m afraid Mandelson wasn’t that kind of an individual.”

Removing George Mitchell bust was easy

FIONOLA MEREDITH, Belfast Telegraph, February 6th, 2026

When passing through the grounds of Queen's University, I often gave the bust of George Mitchell a smart rap on the head. Why? Well, mainly because it made such a satisfying metallic clang. But the playful rap on Mitchell's bald bronze pate was also a denial of reverence. It reflected my long-held scepticism of turning politicians into saints.

I'll be doing this no longer, however, because the bust of Mitchell has been abruptly removed.

Queen's decision to cut ties with Mitchell, following renewed attention on his long association with Jeffrey Epstein, has been swift and symbolic. His name is being scrubbed from institutional branding. Where the plinth stood is empty space, marked by a few traffic cones, like the site of a hurriedly dismantled shrine.

Suzanne Breen's meticulous account in this newspaper laid bare the sheer scale of Mitchell's adulation in recent years — the standing ovations, gala screenings, anniversary celebrations and VIP fanfare, all continuing long after Epstein had become a global symbol of elite depravity. Her conclusion was blunt: Queen's past sycophancy now looks foolish beyond belief.

She's right. But for me, the most interesting question is not simply why Queen's got this wrong — it's why so many of us were comfortable watching it happen.

Revered

For decades, Mitchell - who has always denied wrongdoing - occupied a peculiar status here. He wasn't just respected, he was revered. Treated as a benevolent outsider who jetted in from Washington, trailing clouds of Stateside glamour, to rescue local politicians from themselves. His presence conferred instant gravitas; his approval became a form of moral endorsement.

Queen's was especially eager to share in this reflected glory. A bust, a named institute, repeated ceremonial appearances. The message was unmistakable: we are close to power, close to prestige, close to the global stage.

There is something rather embarrassingly provincial about this reflexive deference to American political celebrities. We still behave as though validation must come from across the Atlantic. When a senior US figure takes an interest in us, we respond with gratitude so intense it approaches submission.

But here's the thing: hero worship is not harmless. It reshapes institutional judgement and softens scrutiny. It rewards symbolic capital over ethical caution. When someone becomes “the saint of the peace process”, awkward questions start to feel impolite, even inappropriate. Doubt becomes a form of disloyalty when a man is turned into a legend.

None of this is to deny Mitchell's contribution. His role in chairing the Good Friday Agreement talks was important, and his patience and stamina were real. But peace was not delivered by one man. The danger of singular hero narratives is that they erase collective effort and leave institutions dangerously invested in spotless reputations. When the pedestal cracks, the fall is spectacular.

Now, with Epstein's name once again dominating headlines, Queen's has pivoted from celebration to sudden erasure. It now speaks earnestly of values, victims and survivors — concerns that somehow failed to generate urgency when allegations first emerged years ago.

Removing a statue is easy. Examining the culture that produced uncritical reverence is harder. There is also something unsettling about the speed with which institutions swing between extremes.

Yesterday's saint becomes today's embarrassment. We move from worship to cancellation without pausing in the uncomfortable middle ground: the space where we accept that people can do important work while remaining morally compromised, politically entangled or simply less heroic than the stories we tell about them.

My small habit of tapping that bronze head was about resisting the confusion of gratitude with worship. Democracies do not need saints. They need citizens capable of holding two thoughts at once: that contribution deserves recognition, and that power must always be met with scepticism and critical inquiry.

There's now a blank patch outside the Whitla Hall at Queen's where Mitchell once stood. Perhaps that absence is an opportunity, not to replace one idol with another, but to rethink who we choose to commemorate and why.

Will Hillary be next?

And while they're at it, Queen's might consider widening the clear-out. Hillary Clinton, another long-standing institutional favourite, has been similarly wrapped in soft-focus reverence, despite a political record that includes enthusiastic support for disastrous wars and deeply questionable foreign policy decisions. If the university is serious about aligning its symbols with “the highest standards”, it may find that its cupboard of global icons is rather emptier than it expected.

What we need is less borrowed prestige. Less star-struck reverence. More confidence in our own judgement.

And perhaps, finally, fewer bronze heads altogether — and an end to this peculiar Northern Irish habit of mistaking proximity to fame for moral authority.

NIO reviewing records to check claim Epstein visited Hillsborough

ANDREW MADDEN, Belfast Telegraph, February 6th, 2026

The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is reviewing its records to see if paedophile Jeffrey Epstein visited Hillsborough Castle in Co Down.

It comes after DUP MP Carla Lockhart claimed in the House of Commons that the late financier visited Hillsborough “on at least one occasion” and called for a “full review of his activities while there”.

Hillsborough Castle is the official residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and members of the royal family stay at the property when visiting Northern Ireland.

Peter Mandelson, who stepped down from the House of Lords this week over his Epstein links and is facing a police investigation over passing on confidential government information to the late financier, served as Northern Ireland Secretary from October 1999 until January 2001.

Mandelson and Epstein, who was convicted of soliciting a minor and died by suicide in prison while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, had a close friendship, and there has been speculation as to whether Epstein visited Hillsborough as a guest of the disgraced peer.

Epstein had visited Buckingham Palace, Sandringham and Balmoral at the invitation of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson.

Carla Lockhart spoke in the Commons on Wednesday during a debate about Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to the United States and new revelations about his ties to Epstein.

“Victims should be at the heart of this process,” Ms Lockhart said.

“The allegations against someone who the Prime Minister and ministers put full trust in are also absolutely shocking.

“Jeffrey Epstein was a sick child predator and a sex offender. He visited Hillsborough Castle on at least one occasion.”

Ms Lockhart said there should be a “full review” of Epstein's alleged activities during the time he may have spent at Hillsborough and an “audit of his visitors during that time”.

The Belfast Telegraph asked the Northern Ireland Office if it could confirm whether Epstein visited Hillsborough and, if so, when, and on how many occasions. A Government spokesperson said: “We are aware of recent claims which suggest Jeffrey Epstein stayed at Hillsborough Castle. We are currently looking into this and reviewing our records.”

Flight logs

Previously released flight logs from Epstein's private jet show the late financier touched down on the island of Ireland on several occasions in the late 90s and early 2000s, including a July 2000 stop in Belfast.

Stormont Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and UUP leader Jon Burrows have also called for investigations to be carried out as to whether Epstein visited Northern Ireland.

Email exchanges between Mandelson and Epstein show the pair were in close contact as the Government dealt with the fallout from the 2008 financial crash and Mandelson was serving as business secretary.

Connolly hails Derry for taking 'the path from conflict to peace'

Garret Hargan, Belfast Telegraph, February 6th, 2026

IRISH PRESIDENT VISITS MAIDEN CITY DURING SECOND DAY OF HER TRIP TO NI

Irish President Catherine Connolly has praised the people of Londonderry for showing “the path from conflict to peace”.

She hailed the city as an example of how reconciliation can be achieved “on the ground”.

The second day of a three-day official visit to Northern Ireland saw her carry out a series of engagements in the city, starting with a civic reception at the Guildhall.

She was greeted by the Lord Lieutenant for the County Borough of Londonderry, Ian Crowe, and Derry City mayor Ruairi McHugh.

Politicians in attendance included DUP MP Gregory Campbell, SDLP MLAs Sinéad McLaughlin and Mark H Durkan, and Ciara Ferguson of Sinn Fein. Fiachra McGuinness, son of Martin McGuinness, was also there.

Welcoming the Irish President, Mr McHugh recognised her “long and distinguished record” of public service and “tireless commitment to equality”.

Ms Connolly said she has been to the city previously in a professional and personal capacity with family, and “always left with a feeling of wanting to return”.

In a short speech, she touched on the city's pivotal role in the civil rights movement, the Good Friday Agreement and ongoing work in the community.

At the venue where John Hume's Nobel Peace Prize is displayed, she said that the country is “indebted” to him and co-recipient, David Trimble.

Days after the 54th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, Ms Connolly said it was important to meet with the families, adding that “justice still awaited”.

Ms Connolly praised the Bloody Sunday Trust for its work “building bridges based on human rights” and for introducing an anti-racism charter.

She recognised the “resilience of the people of Derry”, saying it is “an example to us of the way forward”.

Later, Ms Connolly visited the Museum of Free Derry, where she viewed the exhibition on Bloody Sunday and met with relatives of those who were killed and injured in 1972.

She also visited community initiatives across the city.

Continuing journey

“The journey from conflict to peace is still ongoing,” she said, “what shines through for me is the resilience, the courage, the perseverance of you, the people of Derry.

“Those characteristics have contributed in no small part to Derry's recognition as a city of the arts. A vibrant hub of creativity, embracing its rich history and looking to the future.”

Drawing from a speech by Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown, she said 2025 wasn't a good year for humanity and there is a need to “speak truth to power”.

The Bishop talked about Derry in the context of the strong and the powerful, saying “the people who suffered in Derry have something to offer”.

Ms Connolly stated: “I absolutely agree. You are an example to us with your wit and your perseverance, the reconciliation on the ground across all communities, you are an absolute example to us of the way forward.”

She added: “The weak do not have to suffer, we have voices and we can speak up. An injustice in Derry is the same as an injustice in Gaza, is the same as an injustice in Sudan. We're all human beings at the end of the day.

“I'm deeply grateful to you in Derry for showing us that way forward; in a practical way with vision, with humour and with wit.”

Catherine Connolly hits right notes during visit to hidden ‘jewel’ of Derry

President meets Bloody Sunday families, visits Siege Museum, praises city for showing ‘path to peace’

Freya McClements, Irish Times, February 5th, 2026

In Derry’s Guildhall, the city’s community, civic and political leaders had got up early to meet the President, and she thanked them for doing so.

“I know it’s very unusual for the people of Derry, and you have that in common with Galway,” Catherine Connolly said to laughter from the audience.

She was beginning the second of a three-day trip to the North – the first official visit of her presidency – which started in Belfast on Wednesday.

In the Guildhall, Connolly toured its exhibits, including the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the late former SDLP leader John Hume, and in her brief speech she praised the city as one which “has shown us the path from conflict to peace”.

The impact of that conflict was acknowledged. Connolly said she was “conscious that I’m here at the 54th anniversary of Bloody Sunday”. She referenced the recent acquittal of Soldier F on charges of murder and attempted murder that day.

“Justice is still awaited,” she said of the massacre on January 30th, 1972, when British soldiers opened fire on unarmed civilians during a protest march, killing 14.

Meeting Bloody Sunday families

Later, she met representatives of the Bloody Sunday families in the Bogside.

Tony Doherty, whose father Patrick was among those killed, welcomed the comments, saying it was a “sign of maturity as well that the President’s office isn’t reticent or afraid to address … core issues”.

Also on the agenda was the Siege Museum, which tells the story of the 1689 siege and the Apprentice Boys of Derry – a loyal order similar to the Orange Order – as well as arts and cultural venues An Cultúrlann and the Nerve Centre.

Peace was an “ongoing journey”, the President said in her Guildhall address, and hence her trip focused, as in Belfast, on projects putting this into action “on the ground”.

“As someone who’s been quite critical of the Government, let me praise the Irish Government in terms of their reconciliation fund [which supports the projects],” she said.

Afterwards, Connolly greeted all those present individually, including Democratic Unionist Party MP Gregory Campbell, who said afterwards he had challenged her “numerous references to Derry, but not a single reference to Londonderry”.

He also criticised her failure to acknowledge the exodus of Protestants from the mainly nationalist west bank of the city during the Troubles, “because they suffered hardship and intimidation and murder as well”.

“I think she got the message and she apologised,” he said, also saying he looked forward to discussing these matters with Connolly in future.

Others had the future on their minds too.

Catherine Cooke, from Foyle Women’s Information Network, said she hoped the visit was “the first of many”. She described it as “really significant” that the President had visited the Siege Museum and met the Bloody Sunday families.

“Hopefully we can work with her on some of the stuff we’re doing around ending violence against women and girls,” Cooke said.

Gerard Deane, director of peacebuilding charity Holywell Trust, said the President’s presence in Derry was “a real sign to say this is a really important place” and that “she knows the importance of cross-Border relationships and of our city within this island”.

“It’s a real commitment from the presidency, saying Derry’s important, I’m hearing you, and let’s work together,” he said.

Certainly, it seemed as if the President has heard them. She emphasised an affection for the city grounded in family holidays and a memory of a time they “simply couldn’t wait to take the bikes out of the car and cycle down to the last bridge on the Foyle”.

Derry was “a jewel that is hidden in front of our eyes” she said, and its people, “with your wit, your perseverance … your reconciliation on the ground across all communities, you are an absolute example to us of the way forward”.

Border poll not an inevitability, insists Campbell as he addresses debate in Dublin

NIAMH CAMPBELL, Belfast Telegraph, February 6th, 2026

DUP MAN ALSO TELLS IRISH PRESIDENT DURING HER VISIT TO DERRY THAT NI WILL NOT BE LEAVING THE UK

Gregory Campbell has said “unionists will not be browbeaten into accepting claims that a border poll is inevitable” on the same day he told Irish President Catherine Connolly: “We're not leaving the United Kingdom.”

The East Londonderry MP addressed a major debate at the Literary and Historical Society in University College Dublin yestersday evening, where he made his case for Northern Ireland remaining an integral part of the UK.

Mr Campbell said arguments suggesting Irish unity is unavoidable are based on a “false premise”.

He said Northern Ireland's position within the UK is safeguarded by the principle of consent and argued that polling since the 1998 Good Friday Agreement has consistently failed to show majority support for constitutional change, noting that support for nationalist parties has remained broadly static at around 40%.

“The so-called unstoppable movement simply does not exist,” he said, adding that politicians who encourage expectations of an imminent border poll risk creating long-term political difficulties if those expectations aren't met.

Mr Campbell also highlighted what he described as the economic benefits of remaining within the UK, pointing to healthcare free at the point of use and the social security system.

He said even economists who support constitutional change have acknowledged that Irish unity would require the Irish Government to find “billions every year just to stand still”, potentially leading to higher taxes or reduced public services.

‘People can be British, Irish, Northern Irish, or all three’

“Northern Ireland is the only place on this island where people can be British, Irish, Northern Irish, or all three, without the state demanding conformity,” he said.

The DUP politician added “that space would disappear” in an all island state.

Referring to the Fine Gael candidacy of Heather Humphreys, a Protestant, in the presidential election, he said: “We saw only months ago how narrow the boundaries of acceptable identity remain in the Republic, when a presidential candidate was subjected to sustained public vilification because of a family connection to an Orange Order parade. That tells its own story.

“This is not a proposal to unite people. It is a proposal to banish the identity of hundreds of thousands of British and unionist citizens. That is why it will never succeed. The real priority should be making Northern Ireland work, strengthening relationships in all directions, and focusing on improving everyday life for the people we serve.”

Earlier yesterday, Mr Campbell met Catherine Connolly — the Irish head of state — after she gave a speech at the Guildhall in Derry.

In a brief interaction, he told her: “You're in our country. Tonight I'm going to your country.

“We're not leaving the United Kingdom, not now or at any time in the future, so I think it's better if we try and ensure no-one rewrites the past as we all build for the future.”

Ms Connolly said she was looking forward to visiting the Siege Museum, which commemorates the 1689 Siege of Derry — when up to 30,000 Protestants held the walled city in the face of forces from the Catholic King James II.

Mr Campbell said he wanted to “make our acquaintance to try and build on that”.

Avoiding ‘Mistakes’

The president replied: “We're here to listen and to learn from each other and rewriting history would be…” when Mr Campbell interjected “a big mistake”, to which Ms Connolly agreed.

She told Mr Campbell she grew up in a family of 14 and there were “lots of disagreements, but we had to learn to live and love; at the end of the day we're human beings and we have to have respect, that's very important”.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Campbell said he “warmly welcomed her to this part of the UK” and he “always welcomes visitors, especially visitors from other countries”.

Ms Connolly became President of Ireland on 11 November 2025, succeeding Michael D Higgins after comfortably winning the 2025 election.

During her election campaign, she said it is the “firm will” of the Irish people to have a united Ireland, but added that she cannot put a date on when a referendum should take place on unity.

“In my lifetime sounds very good. In my term as president sounds even better,” she previously told the media.

Sinn Fein backed Ms Connolly in the presidential race, rather than running its own candidate.

At the weekend, First Minister Michelle O'Neill, reiterated her party's call for a border poll by 2030, stating she could envisage a vote happening while she is in post.

Deputy First Minister Little-Pengelly and Ms O'Neill were asked about Irish unity during separate interviews on the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News.

Ms Little-Pengelly countered that momentum for an Irish unity referendum “doesn't exist” in NI, and said she believed its “best future” was within the United Kingdom.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has previously said he is not planning for a border poll by 2030.