State Violence (13 page)

There were two male interviewers and a policewoman. They said I would know what I was in there for. I said I didn't. He said did I know what Section 10 was. I said ‘No'. He said, ‘you know under this you are suspected of being a terrorist and being a member of Cumann na mBan'. I said that I was never a member of any organisation. They all started laughing. So they said, what did I know about the fire-bombs. I said that I didn't know anything. They banged the table. I was scared and I couldn't stop shaking. They told me they heard I was sick. I told them I never had good health. They said, how could I expect good health with the people I had bombed and killed. I said that I never hurt anyone in my life. I kept on denying it. I was taken back to the cell. A lunch was brought in. I never ate it. I was left there about an hour.

This time I had two different interrogators and a different policewoman: I planted the fire-bombs (they didn't say where), I ran around with republicans, I was at republican funerals in uniform. I said that the only funeral I was at was that of two friends and I wasn't in uniform and the only uniform I wore was my school uniform. They said they had lots of photos of me and one was going to bring them down. They kept on insisting they had photos. I knew they had none. Then they said that my husband was awful good, that he even told them he was in the IRA and that I should be like him and tell them everything and get it all off my chest; I would feel better for it. I said that I had nothing to tell; I didn't know any IRA men, about Cumann na mBan, about fire-bombs. Back to the cell again.

This time again two different interviewers. One an older man, fat and long hair combed back. I've seen him at Mountpottinger. The other was a ... There was a policewoman in plain clothes. She had permed hair. She started off asking was I going to co-operate. I said that I told them all I could, I'd told the truth, I wasn't in anything. I said, ‘I know nothing of fire-bombs'. He asked, ‘Can you fucking read, do you know what that says?' It was stamped in red. It said, ‘Geraldine Crane, Intelligence Brief'. I said, ‘Yes'. ‘Well, what the fuck do you think that means?' I said, ‘I don't know'. ‘Do you think we get paid for nothing?' I said, ‘No, mister'. He said, ‘We've got men watching you every minute of the day. We're not only talking about recent fire-bombs but things that go back years.' I told him that I'd nothing to fear because I was in nothing.

The ginger-haired one, when he interrupted, kept referring to Ciarán as a cub. The policewoman then said, ‘Do you know the song “Nobody's child”? Well, that's what he will be singing one day'. She kept on referring to Ciarán, saying I wasn't crying, so I wasn't worried about him.

The older man said, ‘You sicken me, sitting there shaking. Stand up against the wall'. Where I was standing I was close to, in fact right beside, the policewoman seated on the edge of the table. He stood beside me. The other one at my side. The ginger-haired one stood facing me. The one beside me struck the wall and shouted, ‘Aren't you fucking in it?' I said, ‘No'. She said, ‘He said to stand up, not lean against it' and she pushed me. I had my hands in pockets and she said, ‘Keep them by your side'. I put my hands down. He kept banging and shouting, just missing me every time. When I moved she would shove me back. He shouted at me then for staring at the brick wall rather than at your man's face. I said that it was ignorant to stare. He banged the wall. He said, ‘Well, I'm staring at him and talking to you and he doesn't think I'm ignorant'. Your man laughed and said, ‘You're my friend and I don't mind you staring, and I'll be your friend, Geraldine, if you tell us all.' Back to the cell.

Witnessed: Elizabeth F. Murray

This statement was interrupted by the arrival of the RUC who wished to interview her re her complaint made at Castlereagh. I took the rest of the statement at a later date.

The second day of my stay in Castlereagh started about 5am, when the policewoman turns the light up. You are left there until about 7.30 am, until the breakfast comes in. I couldn't eat mine. You have your breakfast in your cell, about seven minutes. I asked to get washed and they let me. I was very sick but could not vomit, so I asked for the doctor. They said I could see him when he came. I was still shaking a lot. About 9.30am they opened the door. Two young men were there. I thought it was for interviews but they asked my name and I told them. They asked me was I Raymond Crane's sister. When I said, ‘No, his wife', they started to laugh. They told me to stand straight and walk up and down, turn around. Then they said, ‘All right, bastard'. The one who did the talking had a beard. I was very nervous after that and I was glad when the doctor came. I asked the doctor for a medical. I told him that I couldn't stop shaking and that the Branch men were shouting at me for it. So he called the policewoman to come while he examined me. I was at least eight stone weight when I was arrested, but was only seven stone four pounds when weighed. I told him I was about eight stone before I was arrested. He said it wasn't possible and was quite angry. He said there was nothing wrong with me except nerves. He put me on three valiums a day. I went back to the cell. Not long afterwards a man brought me down to the interview rooms, as they called them.

There was another man there and a woman. It was the same girl [as] was there on Monday night. She said had I thought it over, what they said last night, and was I going to tell the truth. She started shouting again, ‘You are lying. You planted the fire-bombs. You are in Cumann na mBan, are you?' I wasn't and I never planted any fire-bombs, but they kept on about them. They then started about my husband again and said he was in the IRA and I was in it too. They then started about Ciarán, my son. They asked had I a pram. I told them he was out of his pram a month now and he walked. They said he was out of the pram because I was tired putting guns and bombs in it. I said there was nothing in his pram, that he had a buggy when he was young. They laughed at that. They said I put guns and bombs in the buggy. Then they said I didn't care about my son, I was going to jail for fifteen years. One of the men said he had a son the same age as Ciarán and he wouldn't like to think he would be left in a home because of his mother. I said, ‘Ciarán's not going to the home'. They said, ‘Why?' I said I had done nothing and was quite capable of looking after him. They said, ‘You don't know what you are saying. You planted the fire-bombs and have to do time for it'. They said my mother had reared her family and had a bad heart and wouldn't be able for a baby at that age, and Raymond's mother had a young family and couldn't take care of another. So I would be as well to tell them and they would make sure I would get a suspended sentence and would only be away for six months and six months was better than fifteen years. They said I could get twenty with the things I had done. I said I never did anything, I couldn't go to jail for nothing. They said I was hurting nobody but myself, I would be as well to tell them everything. I told them I done nothing, I was being held for nothing. So they were quite angry and started shouting at me, calling me a liar. They then said the woman there was a welfare worker and in the police as well and she could put Ciarán in the home or, if I signed a form she had, that she would get him foster parents. I said I never done anything. But they kept on about Ciarán and about jail. I just sat and cried so they would bring me up. I asked if I had been left in clean clothes. So he asked a man. He said ‘yes', they were up at my cell.

I saw my sister on the passage. She asked me was I all right. I said ‘Yes'. The man pushed me and told me to shut up and walk on. The woman police constable on duty in the passage gave me my clothes and said I could take a shower later because there was someone in the shower.

The interview finished about one. I had a shower and my dinner, although I could eat very little of it. The policewoman opened the door and said there was another doctor in and would I like to see him. I said ‘Yes'. I went into the doctor and he said my mammy had sent him in along with the solicitor. He told me to stop shaking and crying. He took down notes of what had happened to me and said I was all right. I asked him about my little boy. He said he was all right. I told him to tell my sister I was all right when he saw her. I was brought out and put in the cell. I stayed for another half-hour or more, then brought down to the interview room where there was two men.

They started off again about fire-bombs and Cumann na mBan. They finished that interview about five. I had my supper about 5.45.

I was brought out again about seven to the interview again. It was another two men. So they started again about fire-bombs and Cumann na mBan. I told them what I told the other ones. One brought his chair round and sat facing me. He started to push my chair with his foot. I was holding on to the chair and he asked me what was the matter with me. I said I was going to fall off the chair and would hit my head. He said, ‘Don't worry, haven't you clean knickers on' and pulled my skirt away up and started laughing. Then he asked what was I was doing, out shooting at the Brits. I said I wasn't. They said I was telling lies because I was arrested with my husband and my sister, the one in Castlereagh. I said I wasn't lifted with my husband or sister and I was not shooting. They said they had it in black and white, was I calling them liars. I told them my husband was in jail from July and they must be telling lies. They kept on.

I was brought to my cell about 11 o'clock or shortly after that. The policewoman turned the light down. I kept on waking up. They put the light on about 5.30.

I was brought out about 9.30 to the interview room. They said they would keep me for seven days, it was nothing to them. I could hear someone getting shouted at and the table getting banged. He said I would get the same if I didn't hurry up and tell them all I knew. They then said about the electric shock treatment. They said I would get that if I didn't hurry up. They brought me to the cell about one o'clock.

I was brought down again about two. Again about fire-bombs. The two went out and came back with a piece of paper and said my friends told them I done the shops. I told them I planted no fire-bombs. They said, if I was threatened to do it, I would get off with my health and the child but I better tell them. The door opened and there was about three men there. One told me to walk up and down. Then he said, ‘That's her' and closed the door. The man said, ‘Do you know who that was?' I said ‘No'. He said it was the police officer who had identified me. They kept on changing about. Then two came in and sat down and said they were charging me anyway. I said I never planted any fire-bombs and I want to see my solicitor. They said I was identified, my friends had said, and the judge would believe the police before he would believe me. They then said they would let me out if I told any man's name in the IRA. I said I didn't know anybody. They said they would let me out if I kept my eyes opened and watched the movements of them. They said to let them know and they would pay me well. They said they would put the money in my son's name and nobody would know. They said they would give me a phone number to ring if I saw anything.

I was brought up to my cell. It was 5.10. The man who brought me up said he would be back to give me the phone number. I had my supper and was just lying there waiting for him to come back but he never. It was the longest night I ever spent. I thought they were just going to charge me or keep me for seven days. Then the policewoman opened the door and said I had to see the doctor because I was being released. I asked the time. She said 5.15 Thursday. About 6.15 she opened the door. I signed the release form. I was brought out to a jeep with two girls already there. We waited for the other two and were brought down the Woodstock. The policeman started to laugh and said, ‘Duck your head'. We were let out at the bottom of it. The Woodstock is a Protestant area. We ran over to our side of the road. It was a terrible experience.

Signed: Geraldine Crane

Witness: Fr Raymond Murray

Prior to the November 1977 sweep on the Short Strand, Belfast, other women had alleged ill-treatment while in custody in Castlereagh Interrogation Centre. Mgr Denis Faul and I included the case of Patricia Moore, Dunmurry, Belfast, aged 18 years, among a number of statements published in
The Castlereagh File
. It alleges ill-treatment at a military post. This statement was taken by Margaret Gatt of the Association for Legal Justice and was signed by Margaret Moore, Patricia's mother:

On Wednesday 30 July 1977, I was coming up Castle Street, Belfast, between 3pm and 4pm. I was stopped by a military policewoman. She asked me to open my bag. I had a tape recorder in my bag which was switched on by mistake. She also found a letter in my bag which I had found in a telephone box a few minutes beforehand.

I was then arrested and taken to Grand Central army post. I was put into a cubicle and then taken out and searched in the toilets. After about two hours I was taken in again and asked if I had anything in my pockets. I emptied my pockets and there was a dead match and a piece of tissue in them. I also had a bracelet on my arm which the policewoman dragged off me. She was shouting and yelling at me and saying I was ‘a suspicious bitch'. I did not say a word while this was going on.

I was taken to a room which I took to be a medical room. A young soldier was in the room when I went in. I think he said he represented the medical officer. He asked me about previous illnesses and did I have any scars. Also did I want to be medically examined. I said I had no need to be examined. He asked me to sign a form which I did. He went out but the military policewoman was still there. He came in again and the two of them giggled and laughed about strip searching me. He went out again.