Government faces police trauma bill

The Government faces paying out tens of millions of pounds to police officers in Northern Ireland suffering post-traumatic stress disorder following decades of terrorist violence.

A High Court judge opened the door to individual claims for compensation when he ruled following a marathon action by more than 5,000 serving and former officers that there had been "systematic failures" in the way they were treated.

The group action alleged officers endured anxiety and depression because of the violence and claimed successive Royal Ulster Constabulary Chief Constables and the former Northern Ireland Police Authority were negligent in their duty of care by failing to provide proper facilities to deal with their mental anguish.

Mr Justice Patrick Coughlin said officers had suffered "emotional damage as real as that caused by bomb and bullet". And in a detailed judgment delivered after hearing 102 days of sometimes harrowing evidence the judge paid tribute to the sacrifice of police officers.

"The society that exists in this province today is very different to that in which most citizens were compelled to live for more than 30 years. The current mood of vibrant optimism bears little or no comparison with the dark despairing days of the terrorist campaign.

"That such a mood now prevails is due in no small part to the quiet, dignified and dogged courage of ordinary men and women who were prepared to place themselves and often their families between anarchy and the rule of law."

The judge added "In so doing they found themselves experiencing a catalogue of horrors that in some cases caused emotional damage as real as that produced by bomb or bullet."

Some, he said, were troubled by persistent flashbacks and putting the past behind them may not be a realistic option without having to undergo prolonged and distressing treatment.

Whether there should be compensation in individual cases will have to be decided, he said, and will rule next week on 10 sample cases put forward during the hearing.

However he said: "No-one who heard the evidence in some of the lead cases could seriously doubt that individuals have been damaged whilst simply doing their duty."