Foyle MP Colum Eastwood MP has expressed his deep disappointment that once again, families have been let down by the state following a PPS decision not to prosecute eight former soldiers for perjury, just days before the 54th anniversary of Bloody Sunday.
During the trial of Soldier F at Belfast’s Crown Court last year, Mr Justice Lynch concluded that a number of soldiers had been “serially untruthful” about events on Bloody Sunday, and that they committed perjury before the Widgery and Saville Inquiries.
The families are now considering legal action.
In a statement this afternoon, Mickey McKinney, brother of William McKinney said today’s decision comes as no surprise to any of the victims of Bloody Sunday.
He says each and every soldier who gave evidence to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry had the protection of an unequivocal assurance from the Attorney General that any truthful evidence that they gave on Oath to the Inquiry could not be used against them in subsequent criminal proceedings.
Mr McKinney adds more than 15 years have passed since detailed submissions were served on the PPS by the relatives’ lawyers following their consideration of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry’s findings. and the delay in investigating the false evidence given and arriving at today’s decision has been outrageous.
He concludes they have instructed their lawyers to consider this decision with a view towards commencing yet another legal challenge to today’s decision.
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McKinney statement in full –
PRESS STATEMENT IN RELATION TO DECISIONS OF
THE PUBLIC PROSECUTION SERVICE NOT TO PROSECUTE
8 FORMER MEMBERS OF PARACHUTE REGIMENT FOR PERJURY
Reacting to this morning’s decision of the PPS not to prosecute any of eight former
members of 1 Para for committing perjury by giving false evidence on oath,
Mickey McKinney, brother of William McKinney said:
“Today’s decision comes as no surprise to any of the victims of Bloody Sunday.
“Each and every soldier who gave evidence to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry had the
protection of an unequivocal assurance from the Attorney General that any truthful
evidence that they gave on Oath to the Inquiry, to enable that Inquiry to find the
truth of what happened on Bloody Sunday, could not be used against them in
subsequent criminal proceedings.
“In keeping with the long established reputation of the Parachute Regiment for
cowardice, and its disregard for Irish civilians of any denomination during the
conflict here, that opportunity was spurned without exception.
“In particular, today’s decision is difficult to reconcile with the firm conclusion
reached more than once by His Honour Judge Lynch, who having conducted a
painstaking analysis of the evidence given by Soldier H to both the Widgery
Inquiry in 1972 and Bloody Sunday Inquiry in 2003, that Soldier H had in fact
perjured himself on both occasions.
“More than 15 years have passed since detailed submissions were served on the
PPS by our lawyers following their consideration of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry’s
findings. The delay in investigating the false evidence given and in arriving at
today’s decision has been outrageous.
“Today we have instructed our lawyers to consider this decision with the view to
commencing yet another legal challenge to today’s decision which effectively
protects these unashamed professional liars and murderers from being held
accountable.”
Ciaran Shiels, solicitor for the Bloody Sunday Families and Wounded said :
“This decision sees the final eight Paratroopers who perjured themselves and perverted the
course of justice in relation to Bloody Sunday escape criminal prosecution for their actions.
“Former members of the British Military have nothing to fear in relation being held
accountable either for murders they committed with impunity in Ireland, or when they
subsequently came to lie under oath when seeking to justify the unjustifiable, or when
alleging that the innocent victims they murdered were engaged in criminal activity and that
they effectively deserved to be shot.
“This decision makes it clear beyond doubt that when British Soldiers brazenly perjure
themselves and pervert the course of justice in providing entirely untruthful and dishonest
evidence in 1972 and in 2003, in order to cover up their murderous and criminal activity,
before two Law Lords and an International Panel of Judges, The Public Prosecution Service
in Northern Ireland will ensure that justice for victims will continue to be denied.”
