One soldier will face charges over the killings of two people. Here's why there were no charges brought in the cases of the 12 other people killed.
Families of those who died march through the Bogside in Derry today ahead of the announcement. Image: Liam McBurney/PA Images Families of those who died march through the Bogside in Derry today ahead of the announcement. Image: Liam McBurney/PA Images TODAY, THE PUBLIC Prosecution Service in Northern Ireland announced that one former British soldier would be charged over two murders and two attempted murders in the Bloody Sunday killings.
After the lengthy second inquiry into Bloody Sunday – called the Saville Inquiry which lasted 12 years – it was found that the killings were “unjustified” and it led to an apology in the House of Commons from then-UK Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010. It notes that previous inquiries – such as the Saville Inquiry which found the killings to be unjustified – are “not bound by rules designed for court cases”.
Some of these earlier statements would have been made where soldiers were “provided with an assurance by senior Army officers that the statements would not be used against them in any subsequent proceedings,” the PPS noted. Those marching planned to travel from Bishop’s Field in the Creggan housing estate to the Guildhall in the city centre.In the first incident, shots were fired by two soldiers at a derelict building on William Street, before other soldiers had moved into the Bogside.
The soldiers reported to the PSNI of being involved here were Soldiers N, O, Q, R, S and V. Soldier N has recently died, so no prosecution can be brought against him. The only evidence available that Soldier R had fired their weapon was the account of another soldier. However, from this evidence the PPS said “it is far from clear whether soldier did in fact see Soldier R fire”.
After the shooting had stopped in other sectors, a number of soldiers in this area fired at a window of the Rossville Flats, though none of the bullets struck a person. One soldier placed Soldier F among a group of soldiers who were firing in a location that would appear to be Rossville Street but there was insufficient evidence to prove that Soldier F was one of those actually firing. This soldier also later heard Soldier F admitting to having fired on Bloody Sunday, though the admission did not detail where or when he fired.
In the other cases, the PPS also said there was insufficient evidence that the accused soldiers fired their weapons at this location that day.
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