A well-known west Belfast family has claimed the Provisional IRA has ordered
them to leave the area and is targeting them following a brutal murder.
The family have asked the US Consulate in Belfast to intervene and are
appealing to the Government for help to stop petrol bomb attacks on their
homes.
The Notorantonios from Ballymurphy have been involved in a three-year
dispute with a neighbouring family, the Devlins. Last week, Gerard Devlin
(39) was stabbed to death.
Four members of the Notorantonios have been charged with murder. They are
denying the charges.
Victor Notorantonio, whose son Francisco jnr (18) is one of those charged,
said that following the murder the Provisional IRA's Greater Ballymurphy
commander ordered the entire extended family, of around 100 members, to
leave the area.
"Since Gerard Devlin's murder, nine members of our family have had their
homes petrol bombed, some on several occasions," Notorantonio said. "My own
home has been petrol bombed seven times, my car has been vandalised, my
sister's dog has been killed, and my dog has been set on fire.
"I wholeheartedly condemn Gerard Devlin's murder. It should never have
happened. Our family stayed away from the court so as not to antagonise the
situation.
"Some members of our family have acted very badly but we all shouldn't be
held responsible. My 78-year-old mother had her home petrol bombed. She has
diabetes and angina. No-one is saying she was involved in the murder, yet
she is being targeted.
"Nothing like this happened to the families of the men charged in connection
with Robert McCartney's stabbing. The law has been let take its course. The
Provos have a grudge against us. We've met the US Consulate to see if they
can stop it."
In 1987, British intelligence directed the UDA to murder Notorantonio's
father, Franciscò snr, in order to save the life of its secret agent,
Freddie Scappaticci (Stakeknife).
Notorantonio claimed the Provisional IRA had been directly involved in some
of this week's attacks but that others had been carried out by
non-paramilitaries with IRA approval.
He said the family's grocery shop in Ballymurphy had been petrol bombed and
an IRA member had ordered the family's hairdressing salon to close.
Police have visited both the Notorantonios and the Devlins and claimed they
are under threat from each other. No attacks have been recorded on the
Devlins since the murder.
