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Protesters call for release of police files relating to death of Belfast schoolboy

CALLS were made for transparency in relation to the police investigation into the death of schoolboy Noah Donohoe at a protest held on Saturday by the child’s family at Belfast City Hall.

Sinn Fein MP for North Belfast John Finucane said that Noah’s mother’s “fight for the answers she deserves” is supported by many, and People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll said that the case had been “mishandled.”

Noah, a pupil at St Malachy’s College in Belfast, was found dead in a storm drain in north Belfast in June 2020, six days after he went missing.

His mother, Fiona Donohoe, hopes to find answers to some of the questions surrounding Noah’s death through the inquest process, and has called for police files relating to the investigation to be released in full.

In July, Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary of State Shailesh Vara signed off on a request by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for public interest immunity (PII) in relation to three police files that are to be used during the inquest into Noah’s death.

The law firm representing the Donohoe family expressed “grave concerns” over Mr Vara’s actions, claiming that the move appeared to “exacerbate rather than allay deeply held concerns.”

Northern Ireland first minister designate and Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill has described Mr Vara’s decision as “totally unacceptable,” and called on the PII application to be withdrawn.

Back at Saturday’s protest, Mr Carroll called on Policing Board members to sever ties with the PSNI over how Noah’s case has been “mishandled.”

“There should be no backroom discussions with the PSNI until the PII is scrapped and there is a proper, transparent attempt to get justice for Noah Donohoe,” he told the protest.

“If there are members of the Policing Board here today, then I would call on them and their colleagues to resign from that board.

“Severing that link with the PSNI would send a strong message to this campaign and to the Donohoe family that you will not be associated with a process which attempts to withhold information from a mother about the death of her son.”

The event finished with a minute’s silence and the release of doves.

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