Northern Ireland: 'Justice denied' to many Bloody Sunday families

Responding to the news that only one British Army soldier will face charges for the Bloody Sunday killings, Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International’s Northern Ireland Campaigns Manager, said:

“It is right that Soldier F must now face justice for the shootings. However, with fourteen civilians dead and only one prosecution, today’s announcement means that many of those responsible for the shootings will likely never be held accountable.

“With justice obstructed and delayed for so long, justice has now been denied to many of the families. No-one should be able to get away with murder.

“What has been achieved today is a vindication of almost 50 years of campaigning by the families devastated by Bloody Sunday. They should be proud of their mutual support and solidarity over five difficult decades.

“Today is a stark reminder that victims have long been paying the price for the failure of government to effectively deal with the past. We call on the UK Government to ensure there are no barriers to justice and make clear there will be no amnesty for human rights abuses, including those committed by security forces.

“All victims of human rights violations and abuses from Northern Ireland’s conflict have a right to an independent investigation, with the possibility of prosecutions to follow where the evidence leads. To remove this recourse would be a betrayal of victims’ fundamental right to justice.”