Ulster Unionist Victims spokesperson, Mike Nesbitt, has called for an end to the agony of the families of the so-called Disappeared.
Speaking as families gathered at Parliament Buildings for their annual Prayer Vigil, the Strangford MLA said:
“This is a terrible stain that needs cleansed. Some of the families have been waiting for over a quarter of a century for the opportunity to give their loved ones a Christian burial. Think of that for a moment: a 25 year wait, even though those who know have had 12 years in which they could go in private to the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains, and speak in the full knowledge their information was privileged and could not be passed to other agencies or used in a court of law.
“When it comes to dealing with the past, republicans will be measured by their actions as well as their words. Their inaction in bringing comfort to the remaining families of the Disappeared stands as a very public condemnation. This should be the last year the families travel to Stormont to hope rather than in remembrance.”