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People should not be desensitised to the idea of intruders forcing their way into homes, guns in hand, threatening families, children, and taking aim at another individual’s legs and ankles; at another individual’s flesh and bone. However, in Northern Ireland, these are known as punishment shootings and are vigilante acts that are frequently reported.
Punishment shootings began in the early 1970s, during the height of the Troubles when Loyalist and Republican paramilitaries saw the legal enforcers of law as illegitimate.
Subsequently, each side declared ‘no-go’ areas for those outside of the community. “These ‘no-go’ areas were very much controlled communities, with the paramilitary forces acting as judge, jury and executioner”, said one man who grew up during the popularisation of these acts and wishes to remain anonymous.
“Matters were taken into their own hands and allowed for self-defined justice to be served immediately, which was not happening at the time and contributed to their rise in popularity. This also meant that the paramilitaries were able to maintain the power that they exercised”.
While these acts of violence are not as commonplace as they once were, there has been a considerable rise in recent years. The highest recorded parliamentary shootings were recorded in 2014 with 31 attacks.
In November 2017, the PSNI revealed that 28 parliamentary-style shootings had taken place over the course of the previous 12 months. After the publication of these findings, there was an increased rate of 1 every 9 days taking place in the greater Belfast area. Despite this increase, it has been found that just over 3% of these incidents have been dealt with formally by police.
One recent case took place on 28th January 2018, when Michael McMahon, 26, was forced into his home in New Lodge and shot in both legs, leaving him with one broken leg. He described the attack, stating: “They just came in, shot me and walked on out the door… It’s disgraceful… I don’t know why they did it, I think it’s a mistaken identity”. As well as physical injury, McMahon has also been left with extreme mental scars, suffering from paranoia and flashbacks. “I’m turning around and seeing the gun flashing, shooting at me and the big bang… I’m scared to even live in my own house, it’s terrifying… sometimes I don’t even want to live”.
In response to punishment shootings, Community Restorative Justice Ireland (CRJI), a collective of community-based restorative justice schemes, emphasises the repair to the harm caused by such attacks. With offices across Republican areas of Northern Ireland, CRJI supplies trained and impartial staff who work to provide a safe and confidential community service to all. Brendan McGuigan, Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland, stated: “CRJI schemes were forming an important bridge between the community and the PSNI in areas where policing was not yet fully integrated”.
Despite having to face barriers brought about by the Troubles and subsequent mindsets, valuable work continues to be in progress throughout Northern Ireland.