Historical Enquiries Team
Encyclopedia
The Historical Enquiries Team is a unit of the Police Service of Northern Ireland
set up in September 2005 to investigate the 3,269 unsolved murders committed during the Troubles (specifically between 1968 and 1998).
The team aims to bring closure to many bereaved families who still have unanswered questions about the death or disappearance of their loved ones. Working with families is at the heart of the HET objectives, and a family liaison process is in place.
Headed by Commander David Cox, formerly of the London Metropolitan Police, it consists of a team of 100 investigators and supporting staff, and a budget of £30 million.
HET is split into two distinct teams: Review and Investigation. The Review team is staffed by police officers employed and seconded from outside the Northern Ireland (to assure complete independence), while the Investigation team has been recruited locally.
Working at a closure rate of 40 cases per month, the team will fulfil its mandate by 2011. However, the investigators - along with the Police Ombudsman
- agree that they will require further time to work through the outstanding cases.
On 29 January 2008 it was announced that the Team would reopen files on 124 deaths resulting from fatal shootings by British Army
soldiers between 1970 and 1973. At that time community representatives with no training were used to take official witness statements and soldiers involved were also interviewed by the Royal Military Police
instead of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
. Doubts had since been raised about the independence and effectiveness of these investigations.
In a February 2008 it was confirmed in the House of Commons that the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) was to examine all deaths attributed to The Troubles from January 1969 to the Good Friday Agreement
in 1998, equating to 3,268 deaths which occurred in 2,516 incidents (an incident is described as a case). At that time 1,039 cases had been allocated to the HET business process. The team currently has a total of 175 staff.
Police Service of Northern Ireland
The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....
set up in September 2005 to investigate the 3,269 unsolved murders committed during the Troubles (specifically between 1968 and 1998).
The team aims to bring closure to many bereaved families who still have unanswered questions about the death or disappearance of their loved ones. Working with families is at the heart of the HET objectives, and a family liaison process is in place.
Headed by Commander David Cox, formerly of the London Metropolitan Police, it consists of a team of 100 investigators and supporting staff, and a budget of £30 million.
HET is split into two distinct teams: Review and Investigation. The Review team is staffed by police officers employed and seconded from outside the Northern Ireland (to assure complete independence), while the Investigation team has been recruited locally.
Working at a closure rate of 40 cases per month, the team will fulfil its mandate by 2011. However, the investigators - along with the Police Ombudsman
Police Ombudsman
The Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland is a non-departmental public body intended to provide an independent, impartial police complaints system for the people and police under the Police Acts of 1998 and 2000.-Personnel:...
- agree that they will require further time to work through the outstanding cases.
On 29 January 2008 it was announced that the Team would reopen files on 124 deaths resulting from fatal shootings by British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
soldiers between 1970 and 1973. At that time community representatives with no training were used to take official witness statements and soldiers involved were also interviewed by the Royal Military Police
Royal Military Police
The Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
instead of the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
. Doubts had since been raised about the independence and effectiveness of these investigations.
In a February 2008 it was confirmed in the House of Commons that the Historical Enquiries Team (HET) was to examine all deaths attributed to The Troubles from January 1969 to the Good Friday Agreement
Belfast Agreement
The Good Friday Agreement or Belfast Agreement , sometimes called the Stormont Agreement, was a major political development in the Northern Ireland peace process...
in 1998, equating to 3,268 deaths which occurred in 2,516 incidents (an incident is described as a case). At that time 1,039 cases had been allocated to the HET business process. The team currently has a total of 175 staff.