Government's Continuing Refusal to Name Stakeknife 'Deeply Insulting' to Victims
The UK Government's persistent refusal to formally identify the former Army agent known as Stakeknife has been described as deeply insulting to victims and their families, according to a solicitor representing multiple affected households. This stance comes despite mounting pressure from parliamentary committees and law enforcement officials who argue that transparency is long overdue.
Mounting Pressure for Transparency
On Monday, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee (NIAC) added its voice to growing demands for the Government to publicly name Stakeknife, who is widely believed to have been west Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci. Scappaticci, who was 77 years old at the time of his death in 2023, allegedly operated as a mole within the Provisional IRA's Internal Security Unit during the 1980s.
Solicitor Kevin Winters of KRW Law, representing several families impacted by Stakeknife's activities, stated that Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn is becoming increasingly isolated in maintaining the Government's position. With both the committee and the chief constable of the PSNI now openly supporting the need for naming, continued Government reliance on the Neither Confirm Nor Deny policy is untenable, Winters emphasized.
Operation Kenova's Findings and Limitations
Operation Kenova, a comprehensive investigation examining Stakeknife's activities, concluded that the agent's operation likely resulted in more lives lost than saved. The probe linked Stakeknife to at least 14 murders and 15 abductions during his time within the IRA's security apparatus.
However, the final report released in December was unable to confirm Stakeknife's identity after the Government refused to authorize such disclosure. Successive governments have maintained this position, citing the long-standing Neither Confirm Nor Deny (NCND) policy regarding intelligence matters.
Legal and Moral Implications
Winters argued that Scappaticci's death removes any legitimate human rights protections that might have justified concealing his identity. He is dead; there are no residual human rights protections to hide behind, the solicitor stated. Naming him would not open the floodgates to disclosing the identities of other agents, living or deceased, but it would provide a long-overdue measure of truth for victims.
The solicitor highlighted several critical implications of the Government's continued refusal:
- Moral erosion: After spending approximately £40 million on Operation Kenova, refusing to name Scappaticci risks undermining the investigation's positive elements
- Legal influence: The NIAC's position could impact ongoing litigation, including the case of Anthony McKiernan's family, murdered in 1988
- Public confidence: Continued suppression of the truth further erodes trust in government institutions
- Victim dignity: Families who survived torture, interrogations, and murders deserve acknowledgment of their suffering
Government Response and Ongoing Considerations
A UK Government spokesperson responded on Monday that officials are not yet in a position to formally respond to Operation Kenova's request to name Stakeknife due to ongoing litigation. This includes consideration of a recent Supreme Court judgment related to intelligence disclosure in the Paul Thompson murder case.
Secretary Benn has committed to updating Parliament as soon as possible, but Winters urged immediate action. This has dragged on far too long. Kenova families are, frankly, fed up to the back teeth with delay, he stated. MI5 cannot be allowed to dictate the limits of truth recovery. The Secretary of State must take a stand.
The solicitor concluded that all sections of the community desire truth acknowledgment, and the committee's position represents vindication for families who have campaigned for transparency for decades. Politically, he described the NIAC's stance as seismic, while warning that further refusal would compound the insult to families and further undermine public confidence.
