A WEST Belfast mum has hit out at the PSNI after officers questioned her 13-year-old son as he waited for a friend outside a local shop.
Christine Mulligan said police approached her son Oisin outside Davy’s Shop in the Beechmount area on March 13 and asked if he was “waiting on drugs” to be delivered.
A local community activist, who intervened in the incident, said officers questioned Oisin about drugs possession as he had been on his phone for a “long period of time”.
“He was there on his own waiting on his wee friend,” Christine said.
“He was only out of house about half an hour and he was on his phone, and he saw the police car circling and then they came over.
“He said the man said ‘what are you standing here for?’
“He said he was waiting on a mate, and the man said ‘you’ve been on that phone awful long – are you involved in drugs?’”
Christine said police had also asked Oisin if they could search him during the incident.
“Oisin doesn’t don’t know anything about the PSNI, he doesn’t know anything about searching or stopping or anything like that,” she said. “I was gutted.
“Oisin acts like a wee tough guy but he has never had any involvement with the police, there has never been police at our house. He wouldn’t have the sense to say anything to them.
“This was all because he was on his phone too long. What 13-year-old doesn’t be on their phone when they’re standing about?
“I could understand if they were asking him about a mask or something to do with Coronavirus, but just because he was standing on a street corner doesn’t mean he takes drugs – he’s only a kid.”
Lower Falls IRSP representative Michael Kelly said one of their “activists had been on the ground engaging with young people in the area” at the time of the incident.
“We find it distressing and concerning that the PSNI would continue to intimidate and harass this young person, resulting in him not wanting to leave the house to go and play with his friends. We find ourselves asking – how many more kids are on the receiving end of similar treatment?
“This is another piece of proof in our view, that the PSNI are not out for the good of our communities but instead to stir up tensions and emotions within nationalist working class areas.”
The PSNI said its West Belfast Neighbourhood Policing Team had conducted an anti-social behaviour patrol in the area of Forfar Street and Springfield Avenue on the date in question.
A spokesperson said police had received “a large number of complaints received recently from residents, of anti-social behaviour in the area.”
“The officers spoke with a number of youths who were in the area at the time to ensure they were not involved in anything untoward and continued with their patrol,” a spokesperson added.
