Family of murdered IRA man told police and army 'could and should' have prevented killing

The family of IRA man Michael Kearney who was murdered by the terror group’s now notorious internal security unit have been told he ‘’could and should’’ have been saved.

The 20-year-old republican from west Belfast was abducted in the summer of 1979, interrogated, then shot in the head, his body dumped close to the border.

A terrible end given to those accused of being informers.

But more than two decades later the IRA publicly apologised to the family and said Michael Kearney wasn’t an informer.

The family’s private briefing with Kenova investigators came after the publication of the overarching interim report into the activities of the army agent codenamed Stakeknife.

Not named he’s believed to be republican Freddie Scappaticci, who died last year.

At the height of the troubles, he was in charge of the IRA’s internal security unit which was nicknamed the nutting squad.

It is understood the Kenova investigation has linked him either directly or indirectly to 14 murders.

The army, MI5, police and the IRA, have also come under scrutiny.

In relation to the murder of Michael Kearney, his brother Seamus, who was also in the IRA, said in a statement: ‘’We have been informed by the Operation Kenova team that Michael’s life could and should have been saved by those in authority.

‘’On at least 3 separate occasions the military and RUC Special Branch were informed by at least two agents holding Michael that he was in grave danger and had arrived in the Irish republic to be shot dead. They failed to act.

‘’Crucially, their first agent report was on June 27th 1979, two days after Michael was handed over to the infiltrated unit known as ‘IRA internal Security’ highlighting that Michael would be shot dead.’’

Solicitor Kevin Winters who represents a number of families said: "No effort was made to intervene and save that young mans life, intelligence was accessed at all costs and if people died at collateral damage, well then that's the horrible takeaway point.

That's what the British Intelligence agencies were involved in. They were co-conspirators, they were involved in the taking of life and they did not intervene when they should intervened."

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