The violence and hatred directed at young Catholic girls and their parents during the Holy Cross school dispute in Belfast has been comparedto the treatment of American blacks in Alabama in the sixties.
The comparison was made in the High Court in Belfast at the opening of a judicial review brought by the mother of a child at the school in Ardoyne.
The woman referred to in court as "E" because she fears her life would be in danger if her name was divulged,challenged the British Secretary of State and the Chief Constable over their alleged failure to provide effective protection to the children and theirparents between June and November, 2001.
Her lawyer, Seamus Treacy, QC, said the authorities had failed to preventunlawful and violent protests orchestrated by loyalist para-militaries.
"This went on not for one day or one week but over a period of months," saidMr Treacy.
"The most basic human rights of the children were trampled upon withdevastating and long-lasting consequences.
"The evidence is overwhelming that the authorites failed in their duty tosecure fundamental rights to the parents and their children"
Mr Treacy said this was borne out in affidavits from impeccable sourcesincluding headmasters and headmistresses, priests, school governors, humanrights commissioners, doctors and parents - "even in the pitiful art work ofthe children themselves."
The lawyer referred to an affidavit sworn by Terry Lavery, headmaster ofHoly Cross Boys school, who said he had worked in five schools in Belfast andhad witnessed many disturbances, including pupils being killed.
But he said he had never experienced anything like the happenings at HolyCross.
"It was more akin to the treatment of American blacks in Alabama in thesixties," he said.
Bernard McCloskey, QC, for the respondents, rejected the allegations of a"softly, softly" approach by the police and said a senior officer had statedthere was no policing solution to the dispute.
He said it was the officer's view that had the police been able to achieve ashort-term solution through sheer force there were no grounds for believingthis would resolve the under-lying problem in the area.
There was also a fear that if more vigorous tactics were employed againstthe loyalist protesters then more serioius violence would break out in otherparts of North Belfast and other schools might be targeted.
The hearing is due to end tomorrow and Mr Justice Kerr is expected to reserve judgment.