11/04/2014

Woman Arrested In West Belfast Over McConville Murder

A 57-year-old woman has been arrested in west Belfast over the 1972 abduction and murder of the 37-year-old mother-of-ten Jean McConville, who is one of the Disappeared.

Mrs McConville was taken from her west Belfast flat by the IRA in front of her children and murdered, she was later accused of being an informer.

Her body was not found until August 2007 at a beach in County Louth.

Nobody has ever charged with the murder.

Last month, Ivor Bell, 77, a leader in the Provisional IRA in the 1970s, was charged in connection with the murder and with aiding and abetting murder and membership of the IRA.

A 56-year-old man was also arrested last week over the murder but released later without charges.

The IRA admitted in 1999 that murdered and buried in secret location nine of the 16 Disappeared and a Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains was established by the British and Irish governments that year but despite numerous searches the remains of seven of them have never been found.

(CVS/MH)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

13 April 2011
Two Held Over Murder Of Sinn Fein Mole
Gardai investigating the murder of Denis Donaldson in April 2006 have arrested two men. A 70-year-old man and a second man in his 30s, were arrested last night in connection with the murder. Donaldson, a member of Sinn Fein, was gunned down at his remote home at Cloghercor, Doochary, Co Donegal.
07 July 2011
Omagh Bomb Case Judge Refuses Real IRA Leader's Appeal
An attempt to overthrown a landmark civil court ruling - which held Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt liable for the 1998 Omagh bombing - has been thrown out of court. Today, he lost his appeal in Belfast as the court upheld the 2009 ruling against both McKevitt and a second accused, Liam Campbell.
01 September 2009
Libya Hints At Gun-Running Compensation
Long-awaited recognition of Tripoli's involvement in IRA terrorism has moved a step closer.
28 July 2008
Republican Threat Level 'Higher Than Any Other'
The threat to the UK from 'dissident' Irish republicans is greater than from any other terrorist group. According to the latest intelligence service surveillance from MI5, organisations such as the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA currently pose a greater danger than even Islamic extremists.
28 November 2014
Surrey Murder Suspect Arrested
Police have arrested 38-year-old Viktoras Bruzas on suspicion of murdering a couple in Surrey. The bodies of Patrick and Gillian Kettyle were found at their home in Fetcham in the early hours of Thursday morning. Police had issued an appeal for help in tracing Mr Bruzas in connection with the murders, and had urged the public not to approach him.