Foyle MP and SDLP leader Colm Eastwood says the people of Derry stand with the Bloody Sunday Families and the wounded ahead of decisions by the PPS on the prosecution of soldiers for perjury resulting from the Saville Inquiry and the Widgery Tribunal.
Mr Eastwood says Lord Saville’s finding that many ‘knowingly put forward false accounts in order to seek to justify their firing’ confirmed what everyone in Derry already knew, but also invalidated assurances that they would not face prosecution if they told the truth.
In a statement, Madden and Finucane Solicitors say it was publicly justified at the time by the Saville Tribunal that a strong legal incentive was being offered to former soldiers.
Despite objections from the families and wounded, they were assured that as long as they told the Bloody Sunday Inquiry the truth about the events of Bloody Sunday, they would face no prosecutions for their actions on the day, or for providing untruthful and perjured evidence to the Widgery Tribunal in 1972.
However, the statement continues, almost without exception, all of the significant military witnesses ignored that opportunity and instead chose to systematically lie to Lord Saville, who severely criticised them for it in his conclusions in 2010.
Solicitor Ciaran Sheils says they now await the PPS decisions as to whether or not prosecutions will be instituted, with decisions expected by tomorrow week, April 18th.
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Madden and Finucane Statement –
Press Statement on behalf of the Bloody Sunday Families and Wounded – PPS Decisions to be made by 18th April in relation to
Criminal Prosecutions for Parachute Regiment Perjury at Bloody Sunday Inquiry and Widgery Tribunals
Ciarán Shiels of Madden & Finucane Solicitors said today:
“The immunity afforded to former British Soldiers who committed criminal offences on 30th
January 1972, was in the form of the Attorney General’s assurance against future prosecution
for self-incrimination, should they wish to tell the truth about the murders and attempted
murders, perjury and perverting the course of justice that they committed on their own
account back in 1972.
“It was publicly justified at the time by the Saville Tribunal that a strong legal incentive was
being offered to former soldiers from the most senior law officer in the State, as long as they
told the Bloody Sunday Inquiry the truth, about the events of Bloody Sunday, they would
face no prosecutions for their actions on the day or for providing untruthful and perjured
evidence to the Widgery Tribunal in 1972. The Families and the Wounded whom Madden &
Finucane represented made strong objections to this assurance being provided by the
Attorney General to the military witnesses, given the extent of the massacre and ongoing
cover-up which commenced in Rossville Street in the Bogside, but which quickly progressed
to the highest levels of the British military and political establishment.
“However, almost without exception, all of the significant military witnesses ignored that
opportunity and instead chose to systematically lie to Lord Saville about their own crimes and
continued to cover up their own criminality throughout his Inquiry.
“Indeed, Lord Saville severely criticised them for it in his conclusions when they were finally
presented to Parliament in June 2010.
“We will now await the PPS decisions as to whether or not prosecutions will be instituted
against those military witnesses who lied under oath to the Bloody Sunday Tribunal from
2001-2004 but also to Lord Widgery in the Spring of 1972. We understand those decisions
will be communicated to the victims and ourselves by 18th April and we have been in
ongoing contact with the PPS in respect of this matter throughout yesterday.”
