The families of the 29 victims who died in the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook disaster have lodged a formal complaint against the Ministry of Defence (MoD), accusing the department of "callous disregard" for their privacy.
The Chinook Justice Campaign, representing bereaved families, is demanding the MoD refer itself to the Information Commissioner's Office after sensitive material was disclosed to a media outlet through a freedom of information request.
The released documents reportedly contain private personal, financial and legal details concerning the families.
Legal representatives for the group have insisted that the documents be retracted immediately and that all recipients be informed that the personal data must not be published or shared further.
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Mark Stephens, a human rights lawyer representing the families, described the disclosure as "a serious failure to protect the rights of families who have been deceived and lied to from day one".
He said: "It shows a callous disregard for their personal information, has added trauma to a three-decade-long fight for the truth, and raises fundamental questions about the department’s handling of sensitive material.
"The Ministry of Defence must urgently explain how and why it placed personal information about bereaved families into the public domain without proper safeguards or due process, or any discussion with those families."
He said the families are "once again" being subjected to "further harm through the unlawful disclosure of their personal information at a time when the MoD claims it is engaged in dialogue with them".
The families of the 29 victims who died in the 1994 Mull of Kintyre Chinook disaster have lodged a formal complaint against the Ministry of Defence
|PA
Mr Stephens added: “That is completely and utterly unacceptable and they deserve a full and frank apology and an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister, to which he has committed.”
RAF Chinook ZD576 went down in foggy conditions on June 2 1994 whilst travelling from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Fort George near Inverness.
The two pilots bore the blame for the tragedy for years before being officially exonerated in 2011.
Chris Cook, whose brother Flight Lieutenant Rick Cook perished in the crash, said: "For more than 30 years, our families have fought for truth and accountability. For 16 of those, we had to fight to clear Rick and Jon’s names.
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The Chinook Justice Campaign, representing bereaved families, is demanding the MoD refer itself to the Information Commissioner's Office
|PA
He added: "To now find that personal information has been exposed in this way is deeply distressing.
"It shows a complete lack of care for the families and the impact this crash and long fight for justice has had on all of us, and is highly illustrative of the deceit and disregard we have all faced from day one.
"I had hoped that having been promised proper dialogue by MoD ministers that we would see a change of direction.
"But it’s the same old MoD up to its dirty tricks.”
A memorial service for the 29 people killed in the RAF Chinook helicopter crash
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The data breach has intensified demands for a judge-led public inquiry into the disaster.
Families say they have been informed by senior government sources that additional undisclosed material relating to the crash remains scattered across various government locations.
The Chinook Justice Campaign wants the case to serve as an early test of the proposed Hillsborough Law, which would impose a legal duty of candour on public authorities.
In April, families welcomed the Prime Minister's agreement to meet them as a "significant" step towards achieving truth and accountability.
A memorial service for the 29 people killed in the RAF Chinook helicopter crash
|PA
A Ministry of Defence spokesman told GB News: "The Chinook Justice Campaign have submitted a formal claim to the MOD for a Judicial Review of our decision to reject the demand for a judge-led inquiry into the circumstances of the crash.
"This process is ongoing and our focus is on responding to that claim and to the allegations contained within it.
"The MoD follows statutory obligations under the FOI Act, but we are reviewing this case again to ensure that all appropriate due diligence has been undertaken."
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