O'Loan finds no evidence McConville was a spy

The Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan confirmed today that her investigators found no evidence that murdered Belfast…

The Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman, Nuala O'Loan confirmed today that her investigators found no evidence that murdered Belfast woman, Jean McConville, was a spy.

Mrs McConville, who was a widow with ten children, was abducted from her home in west Belfast in December 1972 and killed.

The Police Ombudsman's Office completed an investigation into a complaint from some members of the McConville family in relation to the police investigation of her death.

In March 1999 the IRA admitted they had killed a number of people, including Mrs McConville, and alleged some of them had been informants.

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Mrs O'Loan said that while it was not normal for her to confirm or deny the identity of people working as agents for the security services this situation was "unique".

Mrs O'Loan said: "The family have suffered extensively over the years, as we all know, and that suffering has only been made worse by allegations that their mother was an informant."

There is no evidence that Mrs McConville gave information to the police, the military or the Security Service. She was not an informant," said concluded.

Mrs O'Loan said she will furnish the family with more details of the findings of her investigation in the very near future and will make those details public.

Luke Cassidy

Luke Cassidy

Luke Cassidy is Digital Production Editor of The Irish Times