Heidi Hazell was born in
Worpswede,
West Germany, as Heidi Schnaars. In 1986, she married a
British soldier stationed in the country. On 7 September 1989, in
Unna near
Dortmund, Hazell was sitting in the family car at her home. The car was approached by a member of the
Irish Republican Army (IRA) in British Army battle dress, who opened fire with a
Kalashnikov automatic weapon, shooting her over a dozen times. The gunman got into a car driven by another person and drove away.
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher described the murder of Hazell as "evil and cowardly". Speaking during a visit to
Forres Academy, she said: "Let this message get across:
Terrorists don't hesitate to attack wives and children, people who are totally innocent. That shows the evil nature of the work they do." The
Generalbundesanwalt investigated against five individuals, known to be involved in
terrorist activity, amongst which was
Dessie Grew. At Grew's passing on 9 October 1990, the inquiry against him was concluded. It was the second IRA attack in West Germany that week, a previous one resulting in two British soldiers shot near
Münster. In a statement released in
Dublin the following day, the IRA said: An IRA
Active Service Unit carried out last night's shooting in West Germany. The woman killed was believed to have been a member of the
British Crown Forces garrisoned in Dortmund. It has now emerged that she was the German wife of a British Army staff
sergeant. As we intend continuing our campaign until the British Army withdraws from Ireland, the outcome of last night's attack reinforces a warning we gave on 2 August 1988, for civilians to stay well clear of British military personnel. This warning applies to the use of vehicles personally belonging to British soldiers and all modes of military transport.
Sinn Féin President
Gerry Adams responded to civilians that had been recently killed by the IRA, such as Hazell, husband and wife James and Ellen Sefton, Islania Niurati the six-month-old child of a British soldier in Germany, and teenager Terry Love, saying: There can be no doubt where Sinn Fein stands on actions which lead to the deaths of civilians or injuries to civilians. I don't want to see anyone killed, much less a 19-year-old soldier, an Australian citizen or an Irish citizen, but there is a conflict. There is a war going on. People join armies to fight. ==Campaign of Melanie Anan==