The Police Ombudsman in the North is to investigate the actions of the police during recent rioting in the Short Strand area of east Belfast, it was confirmed yesterday.
Ms Nuala O'Loan's decision follows a High Court action alleging that she failed to investigate a complaint by the mother of a sick child who was denied access to a doctor's surgery by a loyalist mob.
Mrs Kelly Ann Johnston, of Strand Walk, had applied for leave to seek a judicial review aimed at securing a court order directing the Ombudsman to investigate her complaint against a PSNI inspector. But the case is likely to be dropped after the Ombudsman's office informed Mrs Johnston's solicitors that it has now been decided to carry out a formal investigation.
A spokesman for the solicitors Kevin Winters and Company said: "This is an important decision because it means that matters which were previously deemed to be policy decisions and therefore not subject to a formal investigation by the Ombudsman's Office now are. We are pleased at this development because it has the potential to impinge on the nature of the disturbances in the Short Strand and other areas.
"In the light of this decision we are considering withdrawing our application for a judicial review."
A spokesman for the Ombudsman confirmed that an investigation is to take place and added: "Judicial review proceedings were initiated before the decision whether to investigate had been taken." Mrs Johnston had claimed in a sworn affidavit that she and her husband had been prevented from taking their six-year-old son Colm to a doctor's surgery in Bryson Street on June 7th.
"I saw a large number of soldiers and police, and behind them a large crowd of men and women, some masked, shouting sectarian abuse and blocking the door of the surgery," said Mrs Johnston.
She said she told a police inspector that she was taking her sick child to the doctor but he shrugged his shoulders, held his hands up and said "take it upon yourselves".