Jean Caldwell, whose husband Cecil died in the 1992 IRA roadside bomb at Teebane between Omagh and Cookstown, has had her application for a victims payment rejected by the Victims Payments Board Review Panel.

Cecil Caldwell, aged 37, was one of eight civilian workers killed in the attack. Jean Caldwell's initial application was turned down in 2023 on grounds she was not present at the scene or in the immediate aftermath.

An appeal panel ruled a year later that sufficient temporal and spatial connection existed to warrant consideration. The board then referred the case to its Review Panel, which last month declared her ineligible.

Ulster Human Rights Watch supported the application. Its advocacy manager Axel Schmidt called for the Secretary of State to amend regulations or issue guidance to ensure access for widows and children of Troubles victims.

Jean Caldwell described the process as intrusive, insensitive and bureaucratic. She questioned the purpose of the scheme if her harm as a victim is not recognised.

The Victims Payments Board stated it cannot comment on individual cases but is in contact with the applicant to explain assessments and appeals. It noted commitment to operating within the scheme's parameters.

An Executive Office spokesperson said determinations are for the board. The scheme, under regulations set by the Secretary of State, has processed over 12,800 applications and paid almost £130 million.

A Northern Ireland Office spokesperson expressed sympathies to those who suffered loss in the Troubles, including Mrs Caldwell's family, but said it has no authority to intervene in individual cases.