Press Release by the Family of the Late Sean Brown
Deep Disappointment at Hilary Benn's Decision to Appeal08 January 2025
The Family of the Sean Brown express their deep disappointment at the British Secretary of State's decision to appeal the ruling by Humphries J that a public inquiry be established into Sean Brown's murder
Press Release on behalf of the family of Sean Brown (deceased)
A spokesperson for the Brown family has expressed ‘deep regret and disappointment at the Secretary of State’s decision earlier this week to lodge an appeal against the recent ruling in the High Court ordering him to set up a Public Inquiry into the 1997 murder of our father and Bridie's husband Sean.’
‘This appeal was lodged on December 31st, New Years Eve, and there must be a suspicion that the timing was intended to ‘bury bad news’. His previous decision not to grant an inquiry, which led to the impugned Judicial Review proceedings, was communicated to us by the NIO at 17.45 on a Friday.
In granting our application for a Public Inquiry Justice Humphreys said,
‘After 27 years, the United Kingdom has manifestly failed to investigate the murder of Sean Brown in which state agents were allegedly involved. An 87 year old widow does not know how, why and by whom her husband was killed. Previous investigations have been fundamentally flawed. Information has been deliberately withheld.’
He went on to state that ‘No viable alternative to a Public Inquiry has been advanced.’
Regrettably it would appear that the Secretary of State has decided that our mother will now enter her 88th year still denied the truth of how, why and by whom her husband was abducted, beaten and murdered. This is shameful.
When the Coroner abandoned the inquest early last year he recommended a Public Inquiry as the only legal alternative. The PSNI Chief Constable stated that he would not oppose such an Inquiry. So it would seem that the real blockage is in London. The SoS has consulted with the Ministry of Defence and the Security Service MI5 before deciding to deny our family our Article 2 ECHR right to an inquiry. This raises profound and deeply concerning questions about collusion and the role of state agencies in this case.
Why does the Ministry of Defence and the Security Service in London hold documentation about the murder of a totally innocent family man who was simply locking the gates of his beloved GAA club in rural Co Derry? What was the relationship between these bodies and the LVF leadership? What was known in advance of the murder? Why are these bodies, who have actively thwarted investigations to date, being consulted on the merits of a Public inquiry? It is a total mystery to us why ‘National Security’ has been invoked to justify the redaction of vital evidence.
As a family we wish to put the Secretary of State on notice that we will not give up our struggle to get to the truth. We had hoped that he would take a different path to previous Tory ministers. Sadly this would appear not to be the case.
Note to editors -The case has been listed by Lady Justice Keegan for hearing on January 16th 2025
To date the Brown family have attended court on more than 50 occasions and have yet to be granted a proper investigation.
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