Priest condemns tar attack on teens as 'child abuse'

A north Belfast priest has labelled a paramilitary group, who chained two teenagers to a lamppost and covered them in tar, as "child abusers".

Father Aidan Troy called an ambulance for the boys, aged 14 and 15, after they were taken from their north Belfast homes during last night's attack. Republican paramilitary group, the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA), said it carried out the attack.

Fr Troy, who was involved in last year's Holy Cross dispute in north Belfast, has offered himself up as a mediator in order to stop such attacks from occurring in the future.

"People cannot continue waiting for politicians to act", the priest added.

SDLP councillor Pat Convery described the attack on the teenagers as "barbaric".

"This was a disgraceful attack on two teenagers who were brutally tarred and chained to a lamppost," he said.

"This attack is not justice. The people who carried out this barbaric attack are human rights abusers who should be ashamed of their actions."

(MB)