HC Deb 03 February 1997 vol 289 cc498-9W
Mr. William Ross

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many assaults described as punishment beatings have taken place in Northern Ireland in each of the last six years and in the current year to date; and what estimate he has made of the number carried out in each year by(a) the Provisional IRA, (b) other republican terrorists, (c) the UDA, (d) the UVF and (e) other loyalist organisations. [12861]

Sir John Wheeler

The number of assaults described as punishment beatings for the period January 1991 to 26 January 1997 is:

Attributed to loyalist groups Attributed to republican groups Total
1991 22 40 62
1992 38 38 76
1993 35 6 41
1994 38 32 70
1995 76 141 217
1996 118 158 276
19971 7 12 19
1 As at 26 January 1997.

It is not possible to specify which individual group carried out an offence. These figures do not include punishment shootings.

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