The guilty plea and sentencing of Ken Barrett today has never been our main concern. We have continually asked for the truth.
Barrett’s plea of guilty means that much of that truth remains hidden.
The Stevens investigation, no matter how thorough, and any prosecutions arising out of it, including that of Barrett, will never come close to establishing the truth.
We can only get the truth if we are involved in the process.
The truth can only be established when we have the entitlement to question the relevant witnesses and scrutinise the relevant documentation.
We have had no input into Barrett’s prosecution and trial. We have seen none of the evidence nor would we ever have had the opportunity to challenge that evidence even if the trial had proceeded.
Prosecutions are controlled by the Director of Public Prosecutions and we are entirely excluded from that process. The Government, of course, is fully aware of this, which is why it is continuing with prosecutions and trials against our wishes.
It is outrageous that the Government is continuing its pretence that our concerns and that of the public can be satisfied by prosecutions and trials.
The Government has run out of excuses for delaying the establishment of a public inquiry into Pat’s murder.
It is now time for the Government to comply with its promise at Weston Park and its personal commitment to Judge Cory and indeed its international obligations.
Our campaign to seek the truth will continue and we will not be discouraged or disheartened by a callous government continuing its own campaign of delay, cover-up and spin.