A Derry priest has said that he has “no regrets” about meeting families who claim they are the victims of police harrassment in the city.
Ballymagroarty parish priest Fr Paddy O’Kane said that he had heard “harrowing stories” from people he said were “angry and afraid”.
However, he admitted that he had not “heard the other side of the story”.
Fr Paddy O’Kane, who is opposed to dissident violence, has said that he will not publicise any future meetings with dissident Republicans.
He said that some of those he spoke to at the Rosemount Resource Centre were not dissident supporters but claimed to have been harassed because of associating with friends who were opposed to the peace process.
The Catholic priest, who agreed to the meeting after talks with the 32 County Sovereignty Committee, said that he had also heard “very worrying questions” about the impartiality of the Police Ombudsman.
The most worrying aspect of the meeting, he said, was hearing stories of young people “with hatred in their hearts
