A DISABLED Co Fermanagh woman has been forced from her home in sectarian rioting. Mrs Olive Kerr (59) is in the Erne Hospital, Enniskillen, after suffering a suspected stroke, believed to have been brought on when a nationalist crowd intimidated her family.
Wheelchair bound Mrs Kerr, her husband, Melvin, daughter Heather and son Andrew were attacked in their home in rioting after an Orange parade passed through Newtownbutler on July 12th. Mrs Kerr was in bed when a crowd of about 150 people smashed windows in the house and set fire to a car parked outside.
Just hours after the other members of the family returned to their home yesterday, the front door was kicked in and they were forced to leave again.
Mr Kerr, a retired farmer and grocer, believes the attack occurred because they were the only Protestants living in that area of Newtownbutler.
He said: "For years as a grocer I had customers from all sides of the community and even gave them food on credit, never receiving payment for it. Now this is the way I am rewarded. In the 36 years I have lived in Newtownbutler I have never experienced trouble like this. This is ethnic cleansing and I have even had my life threatened.
"My wife is in hospital now after suffering a stroke which was a result of the sectarian hatred directed at the family."