By Matthew Backhouse
An apology over Blair Peach's death at a 1979 demonstration in London would be of "no consequence" unless police unreservedly acknowledged he was killed by an officer, his brother says.
Previously secret police reports have revealed that the 33-year-old New Zealander was almost certainly killed by a police officer.
Metropolitan police had resisted releasing the documents for decades, but made them available on their website yesterday, saying there would be no further investigation into Mr Peach's death.
The teacher and peace campaigner died from a blow to the head while marching against the National Front movement in Southall, west London.
His partner, Celia Stubbs, and members of his family in New Zealand have campaigned for the release of the police inquiries into his death for nearly 30 years.
The report said it could "reasonably be concluded that a police officer struck the fatal blow".
Mr Peach was almost certainly killed by an officer from an elite riot squad known as the Special Patrol Group (SPG), the report found.
Witnesses said they saw him being struck by a police officer, and the report found there was no evidence he received the injury any other way.
But the report said there was "insufficient evidence" to charge any officer over the death.
Mr Peach's brother Philip said today the report reinforced the family's view that Blair was killed by a member of the SPG, but there would be "little point" in any of the officers being prosecuted.
"It won't do any good after this length of time -- you're not going to achieve anything, quite honestly," he told NZPA from his Hawke's Bay home.
"I think the fact that it is in the public arena is sufficient."
The family would appreciate an acknowledgment of responsibility from police, but an apology would be of "no consequence", Mr Peach said.
"If they were to unequivocally acknowledge that one of their members was certainly the guilty party, even though that person has not been identified and most likely never will be unless somebody fronts up, then that would be of some substance," he said.
"An apology is basically neither here nor there."
The struggle to get the report released had been a "long, drawn-out campaign", Mr Peach said.
"At the end of the day, the objective would be to endeavour to make sure that this type of thing does not happen again," he said.
"One would expect or hope that any inquiry is carried out in a clear and open manner and the results are available to the general public in a reasonable time."
Ms Stubbs said she was "relieved" to see the report after so long, the Guardian reported.
"This report totally vindicates what we have always believed -- that Blair was killed by one of six officers from Unit 1 of the Special Patrol Group whose names have been in the public domain over all these years," she said.
The Metropolitan Police said yesterday it had received independent advice that there was no justification for a further investigation into Blair Peach's death, so police now felt it appropriate to release the report.
Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson said the report made him "deeply uncomfortable".
"Thirty-one years later we have still been unable to provide the family and friends of Blair Peach with definitive answers regarding the terrible circumstances of his death. That is a matter of deep regret."
NZPA