Member's statement: John Doole
Member's statement by Ms Diane Forsythe on .
- MLA
- Ms Diane Forsythe
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 9 February 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- John Doole
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5369024
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Last Tuesday morning, 3 February 2026, 11-year-old John Doole tragically died in a road traffic accident near his home, just outside Kilkeel. Our entire community is devastated and remains numb and in shock, none more so than his loving family. My deep condolences and prayers are with Theresa, Wesley, Lisa, Stephen, Penny, Katie, Holly, Ellie, Brooklyn, James, Joanne and Roxy; the wider family circle; his friends; and all who knew and loved him. John was an amazing little boy who lived his best life in Kilkeel. With his bright blonde hair and his big blue eyes, twinkling every day, he brought fun and joy to every person whom he met. He loved his family, being on the farm with his daddy and playing with his friends. He was a bundle of energy. I had the pleasure of John entering my life as he went through Kilkeel Nursery School and Kilkeel Primary School alongside my son. He was his dearly loved friend. John was kind; loving; so, so smart; thoughtful; funny; charming; and a much-beloved friend in the P7 class. They looked forward to starting high school together this September and to the many trips that were planned for their final term. They are devastated, as is the whole school family. They all did him proud at the funeral, on Friday. A huge void has been left, and it is hard to understand why any of this has happened. It has touched the hearts of parents and families across Northern Ireland. The loss of a child is beyond measure. Tragedy can strike at any time. John was an angel in his too-short time on earth, and he is now an angel in heaven, looking down on those whom he loved. It is his family members who miss him the most. I pray for them, and I ask that everyone prays that they find some comfort in each other as they navigate their journey of grief and in knowing the amazing life that they had with John. John's family is a credit to him, especially his sister Katie who is now campaigning for changes to help stop others going through some of the pain that they are now experiencing. I support them in that, and I hope that others in the House will too. As we pray for the family and the Mourne community, I put on record the fact that, in his short time, John made an impact and left many marks on the hearts of many people. I put on record my thanks for the precious life of little John Doole: always immensely loved; always remembered; and now safe in the arms of Jesus.
444 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.03 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.46 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.43 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.08 |
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.01 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.01 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:31 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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