The U.S. Criminal Court and FBI have set a deadline of October 9th 2024, for all Lockerbie ‘victims’ to come forward and register, ahead of the trial of Abu Agila Masud. The Libyan, who denies making the bomb that blew up Pan Am Flight 103 on December 21st 1988, is due to stand trial in Washington in May 2025. The London to New York flight exploded over Lockerbie, killing all 259 crew and passengers on board, as well as 11 residents in the town.
Recent US legislation requires the Criminal Court that will try Masud to provide remote access to the proceedings, for all those who qualify under the definition of ‘victim’. The Court would like to identify not only the total number of victims, but also their geographic locations, in order to evaluate the type of remote access to grant: either to victims’ personal devices or to designated trial-viewing sites around the world.
The definition of a victim has been split into two groups. The first includes someone who was “present at or near the scene in Lockerbie when the bombing occurred or immediately thereafter” and who suffered “direct or proximate harm (e.g. physical or emotional injury) as a result”.
The second group includes “the spouse, legal guardian, parent, child, brother, sister, next of kin or other relative of someone who was killed on Pan Am 103 or killed or harmed on the ground in Scotland or someone who possesses a relationship of a similar significance to someone who was killed or harmed in the attack”.
In a statement, the FBI said, “We understand that this notice may be unexpected and raise questions for many who are connected to this tragedy. Please accept our apologies for any apprehensions caused by this sudden outreach, and rest assured that we have a team of dedicated individuals prepared to address any concerns you may have about this process.”
Thousands of police officers, firefighters, emergency service responders, local authority workers and military personnel were involved in the night of the bombing and the aftermath. The debris field covered more than 845 square miles and the crime scene remains the largest in UK history. The 270 people killed in the terrorist attack were from 21 different countries, with 190 of the victims from America and 43 from the UK.
More than 104 bodies were found in the area of Tundergarth, three miles east of Lockerbie. The nosecone of the plane crashed into the field adjacent to the 1900 Tundergarth Church. John Cummock, from Florida, was one of the passengers found inside the nosecone. His widow, Victoria Cummock, is a Trustee of Tundergarth Kirks Trust and also the CEO of the Pan Am 103 Lockerbie Legacy Foundation.
Cummock said, “Many thousands of people qualify as living crime victims, like I do, and are entitled by US law to a range of support services during the trial, including mental health counseling, court trial access, and travel expense reimbursement. I appeal to everyone who qualifies to register to receive these benefits, regardless of whether they intend to access the court proceedings. This will probably be our last chance to be counted in demanding accountability and justice.
“I urge crime victims to use the FBI form to request virtual trial access via Zoom on our personal devices, which is the more humane, practical, and cost-efficient option. This allows aging victims, like me, to remain in their supportive home environments and younger victims to continue to meet their work and family obligations, without creating unnecessary, daily travel hardships during a trial that could last at least a year.”
Almost 36 years after the attack took place, it is widely accepted that there are thousands of people who have suffered some form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder associated with the bombing.
Police Scotland has been working to contact groups of first responders who may wish to register their interest in accessing the trial remotely.
A spokesperson for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said they were
“continuing to support the US Department of Justice and the FBI in the prosecution of Abu Agila Masud”.
The FBI is asking those who were directly affected by the attack, and fit the description of ‘victim’, to register their interest by accessing the link below. The deadline is 9th October 2024.
