Child Riot Picture Usage 'In Focus'

A NI Policing Board group has met to review the use of photographs of young people wanted for questioning in relation to serious disorder in rioting.

The recommendations made will then be part of a wider review being conducted by the Policing Board in relation to the rights of children and young people which will be published in November.

While details of the policing of the parades around the 'Twelfth' period and over the summer months were discussed with the PSNI Chief Constable at the last Board Meeting, the Human Rights and Professional Standards Committee this week held further discussions about the human rights implications of the PSNI decision to release the images.

The Committee received advice from its advisor who expressed concerns that police officers should not release images or other details of any person under the age of 18 - except where the release is absolutely necessary for the purpose of protecting the general public or the young person from serious injury.

The advice was that this would be only after all other methods have been tried and failed.

The advisor also said that each and every decision to release a single image or other detail must be justified in its own right.

In each case before the decision is taken the PSNI should conduct a detailed risk assessment and consult with all relevant individuals and agencies and a record of the risk assessment and consultation must be recorded, she advised.

On Wednesday, speaking about the issue of release of images of young people, Committee Chair, Basil McCrea, MLA said: "This issue of image release has generated significant public debate but at the end of the day the police must act within and meet the legislative standards required by the Human Rights Act.

"The privacy of a child or young person should be very carefully protected and very great weight must be given to the welfare of the child or young person," he said.

Around £1.1 million was spent on PSNI overtime during the riots in Ardoyne, north Belfast, over the 12th July period and the PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott had already said that the cost would have covered community policing services in the area for three years.

The police later issued dozens of pictures of the young people involved, with several teenagers arrests taking place after they were subsequently identified.

More than 80 police officers were injured during the riots, including a female officer who was badly hurt when a block was dropped on her head.

Older people were also involved, with Roger Jorro Costa, 28, who is originally from Barcelona in Spain, but has an address at Ulsterville Avenue in Belfast, later accused of trying to kill the officer during rioting in Ardoyne in mid July.

Mr Costa was remanded in custody after a detective sergeant told Belfast Magistrates Court he believed he could connect the accused to the charge.

See: Spaniard Remanded Over PSNI Murder Bid

(BMcC/KMcA)