Frustration over report delay into murder of teenager in Tyrone

THE family of Portadown teenager Marian Beattie, who was murdered in Aughnacloy over 50 years ago, have expressed disappointment over another delay in the publication of a Police Ombudsman report into the investigation of her killing.

The 18 year-old was found dead at the bottom of the quarry at Tullyvar in March 1973. She had been attending a dance in the area and was found later that night by her brother.

Despite an initial appeal for information about her murder, no-one has ever been brought to justice.

The Police Ombudsman’s report into the initial investigation by the RUC had been due this month but it has now emerged that the report will not be made available to the family until June.

“We have waited a long time to see this report and we’re just totally disappointed that it didn’t happen. We were led to believe that this is what the meeting with the Ombudsman was going to be about,” said Marian’s cousin Colette Toman. “As much as we understand the pressures internally, it isn’t really acceptable what happened her.

“Marian was murdered following her attendance at a dance which had a maximum of around 150 people at it. In today’s environment, it is scandalous to think that a female was murdered in those type of circumstances and 52 years later there’s still no answers about who committed this murder.

“There is so much today about violence against women. We can’t move forward to address that if we don’t have faith in the policing authority.”

Marian’s brother, Gerard, said that the new delay in releasing the report to the family was ‘like a kick in the teeth’.

“There is not a chance of us ever giving up. They have opened a can of worms and I ain’t closing it,” he said.

The family’s belief is that the suspect in the murder has been protected for more than half a century and that vital evidence missing. The family’s solicitor, Gavin Booth, said that it was their understanding that a lot of the delays arise from the Legacy Act as well as trying to complete reports.