UP TO FOUR former British soldiers could be charged in the coming weeks with the murder of Bloody Sunday marchers, the Telegraph is reporting today.
Citing sources, the UK paper says that four former paratroopers could be told on 14 March that they are to face murder charges.
It was previously reported that Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service (PPS) was considering prosecutions on up to 18 soldiers who were involved in the events.
On 30 January 1972, 13 people taking part in a civil rights demonstration in Derry were killed when members of the Parachute Regiment opened fire – a 14th person later died in hospital.
After the Saville Inquiry exonerated all of those killed, acknowledging that none of them was posing a threat, then-Prime Minister David Cameron calling the shootings “both unjustified and unjustifiable” as he apologies in the House of Commons in June 2010.
Following reports today that murder charges could be forthcoming, a number of British politicians have been critical of the potential for prosecutions.
Conservative MP and former British Army Officer Johnny Mercer asked whether any “new evidence” had come to light.
“Justice? I’m not sure. Standards must be upheld, but charging people almost half a century after incidents which have already been investigated once already, seems wrong. Critical question for me is: any new evidence? If not, why is this being allowed,” he tweeted.
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