Troubles legacy cases: Victims group says Brandon Lewis is 'deluded'

Northern Ireland Secretary of State Brandon Lewis has been criticised by NI's largest cross-community victims' group

The secretary of state is "dangerously deluded" to think government proposals on Troubles legacy cases will help reconciliation in NI, the WAVE victims group has said.

The criticism came in a letter to MPs.

In a major re-think, the government said in March that it wanted to permanently close the majority of unresolved murder cases.

It sees the move as a way to limit further investigations into killings carried out by soldiers.

WAVE also criticised Brandon Lewis for a failure to consult on the proposals.

Sandra Peake, its chief executive, said: "When WAVE spoke with the secretary of state on 19 March, he promised there would be what he described as 'intensive engagement' on the issues set out in the two-page written ministerial statement.

"We have heard absolutely nothing from him since then."

'Price families will pay'

The government's proposals are seen as a significant move away from what was set out in the 2014 Stormont House Agreement, which envisaged a new, independent Historical Investigations Unit to investigate nearly 2,000 cases.

The idea now is that the cases would be "swiftly" reviewed, but there would only be full-blown investigations where there is "new compelling evidence and a realistic prospect of a prosecution".

The majority would be permanently closed under new legislation.

Ms Peake added: "The fact that this de facto amnesty will also include the vast majority of murders carried out by paramilitaries is the price that bereaved families in Northern Ireland and beyond will be made to pay."

She said Mr Lewis was "dangerously deluded" if he believes this would lead to reconciliation.

WAVE's letter to MPs is signed by five people bereaved during the Troubles and whose loved one's death remains unsolved.