Family of Murder Victim Demands Answers on Killer's Release

The family of murdered Karol Kelly are seeking answers regarding the release of his killer, Gary Anderson, who remains at large. SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan stated that the Kelly family were unaware of Anderson's pending release until it had already occurred, causing them distress.

Durkan has written to the justice minister to request a meeting for the family to directly address their questions. He emphasized that the family does not blame the minister, Naomi Long, but rather seeks clarity on the decision-making process. "They've found it quite unedifying to be honest that this seems to have been used by some others as a stick to beat Naomi Long with," Durkan said.

The family expressed that they would not object to their son's murderers attending their own father's funeral, but they have significant questions about how Anderson's release was approved. Specifically, they want to know what evidence, or lack thereof, was provided by the prison service to the court, leading to the court deeming the information not substantial enough to prevent the release.

"It's clear that someone in some prison seems to have dropped the ball here while the courts are blaming the prison, the prison are blaming the courts and the Kelly family are sort of stuck in the middle of that back and forth and that's not good enough. They deserve much better than that," Durkan stated.

Further questions have been raised about the management of the release itself, including the identity and approval process for the civilian chaperone involved. The family also seeks to understand how they, as victims, were informed about the impending release.