Victims of Real IRA criticise decision to award compensation to family of Kieran Doherty, who died in Derry in 2010
Victims of the Real IRA have expressed outrage after revelations that the family of a murdered member of the republican terror group has been awarded compensation.
Relatives of Kieran Doherty, a Real IRA member who was shot dead by the organisation after being accused of informing, confirmed that his family will be compensated.
Doherty's naked and bound body was left at the roadside after he was shot on the Braehead Road in Derry three years ago.
His family has been awarded an undisclosed amount by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel, but it is thought to be in the thousands.
Michael Gallagher, a campaigner for the Omagh bomb victims, said there would be hurt among victims and their families.
Gallagher, whose son Aidan died alongside 28 others in the Real IRA bomb blast 15 years ago this month, said: "It was a brutal and horrific murder that took place on this man, regardless of his background.
"But in my experience with the Omagh bomb, some of the families really struggled to get compensation.
"No matter what way you look at it, when that cheque is given, that is the value the families feel has been put on their child's life."
Doherty's uncle, Vinnie Coyle, speaking on behalf of the family, said it was a "substantial" amount of money that had been rewarded.
Relatives have always disputed that Doherty, 31, was a state informer.
"The family are happy with the amount of cash," Coyle said.
"But what's more important to the family is, in their opinion, Kieran's name has been cleared because the PSNI [Police Service of Northern Ireland] evidence and the evidence that the PSNI produced on behalf of MI5 and the security services did not stand up to very, very close scrutiny."
Unionist politicians have also voiced concern about the award.
Tom Elliott, the Ulster Unionist party's justice spokesman said: "When you see the pittance that some relatives of people involved in no criminal or terrorist activity whatsoever get – it's that imbalance that creates the difficulty in our society."
The Real IRA, which was formed after a split within the Provisional IRA over the latter's support for the peace process, has since disbanded. The dissident republican group merged into a new anti-ceasefire alliance last summer now known as the New IRA.