Find Who Killed My Only Child

An 82-year-old woman last night called for the Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde to start treating Protestants with " respect".

Rita Crawford, formerly from Belfast but now living in Coleraine, lost her only child in the La Mon bombing 27 years ago, and says she finds it very difficult to see Sir Hugh "constantly jumping on the republican band wagon".

In a letter sent to the Chief Constable, she called for him to do more to help bring closure to IRA victims' families.

Mrs Crawford, who along with her late husband was at the La Mon House Hotel on the night of the February 17, 1978 tragedy, has never emotionally recovered.

She said she has been living with 27 years of traumatic memories - while her husband died 11 years ago of a broken heart.

Earlier calls made in the House of Commons on behalf of Mrs Crawford for a Saville-type inquiry into the La Mon atrocity were dismissed.

"I want the La Mon House Hotel bombing to be properly investigated and someone brought to justice.

"I know it will not bring my daughter and her husband back but I want fair play.
"The Chief Constable could do more to help people like me."

Mrs Crawford said 12 people were incinerated at La Mon - among them her 25-year-old daughter Elizabeth and her husband Ian McCracken.

Left - Mr Ian McCracken and his wife Elizabeth

"At the start no one knew what it was, it was just like a huge bang," said Mrs Crawford.

"Then there was total darkness because the electricity was destroyed. "My husband and I had to be pushed out because we were stiff.

"We saw people on fire and men pulling curtains from the rails to cover their wives to try and put out the fires.

"We could not see Elizabeth or Ian. She was 25 and only a year-and-a-half married.

"We did not know until a few years later that Ian had got out and went back in for his wife with a torch from the receptionist.

"He never then got out of the inferno. I lost my husband 11 years ago. "He never got over the death of our daughter or the bombing. It is still within me after 27 years.

"I have not got Elizabeth now or her husband, they were incinerated. "We could not look at their charred bodies. Elizabeth was identified through her dental records."

Mrs Crawford said she wants Sir Hugh to ensure that nothing like the La Mon bombing happens again.

"Twelve people were incinerated that night. I do not know how my husband and I survived.

"I would like to think something could be said or done - but I know it can't bring my daughter back. I would hope that there would never be a firebomb like that again.

"I want Mr Orde not to jump on the republican bandwagon without giving due respects to myself and others in my position." News Letter 20th September 2005