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http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0...459542,00.html

Police Sue Over NI Trauma
Updated: 12:59, Monday November 07, 2005



More than 5,000 police officers are suing the authorities in Northern Ireland, claiming they have been traumatised by 30 years of terrorist atrocities in the province.

If the compensation claims succeed, the Government will have to pay out some £100m in damages.

The male and female officers, both serving and retired, are accusing police of negligence by failing to prepare them properly for exposure to violence during the Troubles.

It is believed to be the biggest group action case ever taken at the Northern Ireland High Court in Belfast and is expected to last until Easter.

The officers claim to have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.

Trevor McIlwrath at court


They include former Royal Ulster Constabulary officer Trevor McIlwrath who was in court to hear the claims.

Some of the his former colleagues still serve in the new Police Service of Northern Ireland.

They admit accepting the risks of their job but allege that authorities failed to deal properly with predictable psychiatric and psychological consequences of harrowing duties.

A spokesman for the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, which is backing the litigation, said: "This case is not about police officers complaining about trivial things.

"It is about people with real problems, in some cases suffering from serious and incapacitating psychiatric illness as a consequence of years of relentless and repeated exposure to horror, hatred, violence and death.

"They were exposed to those things in order to protect us."