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Home Page > News > Catholic mum and children flee Down home after sectarian arson attack - VIDEO

Catholic mum and children flee Down home after sectarian arson attack - VIDEO

Mum escapes second arson attack in one week

ANTOINETTE KELLY,

IrishCentral Staff Writer

Published Tuesday, October 23, 2012, 7:39 AM

Updated Tuesday, October 23, 2012, 9:49 AM

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Zofie and Bryanne who escaped an arson attack on their home

Photo by Belfast Telegraph

A Catholic mother and her three children have been forced to flee their home after sectarians tried to set the family home ablaze.

The latest in a series of attacks against Janette Nelson (38) occurred this past Saturday, when accelerant was poured through the letterbox of the family home in Newtownards, Co. Down and ignited at around 7:20pm on Saturday evening.

The Belfast Telegraph reports that the single mother was at home at the time of the attack and she managed to put the fire out. The Down resident has lived in the neighborhood for six years with her children Bryanny (12), Zofi (7), and two-year-old Eli.

Her sister Lizzie McInerney said Nelson had been getting ready for a night out before the attack.

“I came down to get her and she said that the smoke alarm was going off and she realized the door was going up in flames,” said McInerney.

This is the second arson attack in recent weeks. Last week Nelson’s children had to be rescued from an upstairs window after a fire was started at the front door late at night. Prior to this, sectarian graffiti was scrawled on the walls and windows of the house.

As a result of the attacks, McInerney said her sister had decided to leave the neighborhood.

“Janette had already decided to move out ... She was hoping it would all die down and they would catch whoever was doing it.

“Janette’s in bits and has been since it first happened. The girls have been having night terrors and their teacher said they have gone really quiet in school.”

Investigators are treating the criminal damage as hate crimes and have appealed for witnesses to come forward.

One neighbor dismissed the attacks as anti-social behavior.

“We can’t see any other reason for it. Her kids are great and they are all great neighbours who never bother anybody,” the neighbor told the Belfast Telegraph.

Alliance Party Strangford MLA Kieran McCarthy said: “I am disgusted that this family has been targeted for the fourth time. I cannot comprehend why somebody would want to target a family in this way. I am just thankful that this fire was put out quickly, otherwise lives may have been lost.”

Last week investigators questioned a 32-year-old woman regarding one of the earlier attacks. She was released pending further investigations.

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pilib04 | Oct 24, 2012, 12:54 PM EDT

Loyalist are very strange folks. Closely related to the American KKK. However, not nearly as bad.

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RedBranch | Oct 24, 2012, 11:42 AM EDT

A crime is a crime is a crime.

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IrelandNorth | Oct 24, 2012, 05:54 AM EDT

It's unlikely that Ireland will ever be safe as long as it remains undemocratically northernised. "Taig" (pron taigue), (from native Irish male first name Tadgh (pron tig- as in tiger), is Ulster-Scot pejorative for an Irish Roman Catholic in that part of Ireland, also understood to refer to Irish nationalists and republicans. It bears all the charged import of the "n..." word for African-Americans. Ulster unonists/loyalists/Protestants can be as British in a united Ireland (as much as the 112,000 that alread live in the 26 counties) as they are in a purely nominal United Kingdom (sic) - ie they're a bigger and more influential minority in a smaller island than a smaller minority in a larger island. And double the critical mass (ie 20%) of the Irish population would make it far more favourably disposed to the island of Great Britain. Traumatising a fresh generation of children will not cement a willed peace process. Neo-C-arsonists need to realise that this behaviour will only cause their own mainlanders (sic) to push NI out with a 32 foot barge poll.

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SheilaSB | Oct 24, 2012, 01:54 AM EDT

I am glad this woman and her children are safe, at least for the time being. I do hope friends and family can help her move from Northern Ireland to a safer place.

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eviiie006 | Oct 23, 2012, 08:35 PM EDT

Well at least there's a story about it, everyone seems to think there's all peace and everything now. When really there is not peace. This is sickening and it's not like it's the first attack as well. Now their having to leave their home over it all. Thing's have gotten a lot worse, after the queens visit as well and the whole hand shake !!

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curtisjohnson | Oct 23, 2012, 08:29 PM EDT

british "manhood" again rears it's ugly head - almost invariably provoked to action by women and children - the same story over and over again all over the world. It's a shame the terror state media has been able to portray these terrorist orange squatters as victims. They're arguably worse than their cousins in the Klan.

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sparticusnorth | Oct 23, 2012, 05:16 PM EDT

its has nothing to do with religion in the true sense, its about two traditions nations living in one land. firstly notice no-one in the politics condemned it , other than to say blah blah on the radio , because it takes the extreme muscle to be called upon when needed ,most catholics arent roman catholics who follow that unbiblical religion and they cant undo thier birth or identity loyalism should recognise this , as most want to remain in the uk the republic of ireland dont want 1 percent of the north or whats in it open your eyes, prods are the same , protestants are few in the birth sense of protestantism , which is former roman catholic priests such as martin luther, and the reformers who became protestants == protesters against the indulgenses and unbiblical practices of the church of rome , roman catholicism. the media protayed political peace process is a fraud to the rest of the world as catholics and protestants hate one another as much as the kkk and the blacks in the southern states of the usa and thats the facts , you wont freely walk in most parts of northern ireland and we all know it , protestantism is on a self destruct button if it allows such vile behaviour against the innocent such as this case the world will be appauled at this story sort it out, id apply the sectarian rule equally on both sides. and the mermits on the hill silence to your shame you cover up fools.

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cillowen | Oct 23, 2012, 05:07 PM EDT

so much for the Peace Agreement - loss cemented with queenie's visit.

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Eamonn12 | Oct 23, 2012, 04:43 PM EDT

kubs..if you think this bigotry is about religious doctrine you need to keep your ill-informed thoughts to yourself. And it prods..not prots.

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kubs | Oct 23, 2012, 12:04 PM EDT

Hey Prots, are you serious?? Burning women & children is a pasttime You & the Catholics did to each other in medieval times & also during the so-called witch trials in merrie olde England not-so-merrie Puritan New England , all to honor your same god. STOP IT, for Christ's sake!

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