Mum of two Lorraine McCausland murdered by cowardly loyalist paramilitary thugs

DETECTIVES from the PSNI’s Major Investigation Team have arrested a further four men in connection with the brutal rape and murder of a woman in north Belfast over 30 years ago.

Lorraine McCausland was found dead beside a stream in the Forthriver area in the early hours of 8 March 1987.

Detectives also believe the 23-year-old mother-of-two was raped.

Police have arrested two men aged 54 and 65 in Belfast and two men aged 53 and 59 in Antrim as part of their investigation.

It follows the arrests of two men aged 49 and 56 in Scotland, and a 53-year-old man in England on Wednesday.

All seven are now being questioned at the serious crime custody suite in Musgrave PSNI station.

The 23-year-old victim was last seen alive in a loyalist drinking club at Tyndale.

Detectives believe Ms McCausland, who had been on a night out, was raped in the club before she was “savagely beaten” and her body dumped.

The PSNI re-opened the investigation into the murder following a review of the case.

Fourteen people were arrested during the original investigation but no-one was charged.

Detectives conducted 29 searches and took more than 100 witness statements.

Lorraine McCausland’s son, who was aged just two, when she was killed, was himself murdered 18 years later, in July 2005.

Craig McCausland died after being shot in Dhu Varren Park in north Belfast and the killing was blamed on the UVF by police.

Lorraine’s body found by a stream in Forthriver