Silence of unionists is obscene

We have all become acclimatised or accustomed to the shrill voices of protest from Ulster over a whole range of complaints, especially the incessant unionist denunciations of republicans.

Many of the unionist grievances have undoubtedly been justified, but those would be taken more seriously if the unionists also denounced the sordid excesses of those on their own side of the sectarian divide.

David Trimble, Ian Paisley, and Jeffrey Donaldson have been voluble in complaining about both the behaviour of republicans and the failure of Sinn Féin to ensure that their colleagues stopped the thuggery of punishment beatings.