KEIR STARMER HAS apologised on behalf of the UK government to the families of five people who were shot dead by two British Army soldiers at two locations in Belfast almost 54 years ago.

Father Noel Fitzpatrick (42), Patrick Butler (38), John Dougal (16), David McCafferty (15) and Margaret Gargan (13) were killed in the Springhill and Westrock areas of Belfast on 9 July 1972.

The shootings became known as the Springhill massacre.

On 30 April, a coroner concluded that the British soldiers “overreacted and lost control”, finding that the five victims were unarmed and posed no risk when they were shot. 

Speaking in the House of Commons this afternoon, Starmer said the findings of the inquest into the “tragic deaths” of the five victims were “sobering”. 

“While the circumstances in which the events occurred were undoubtedly challenging, it is the duty of the state to hold itself to the highest standard.”

The Labour leader said the British government “accepts and deeply regrets these findings, and recognises their gravity”.

“On behalf of the government, I want to apologise unreservedly to the families for what happened and for the grief and trauma that they have endured since the tragic deaths of their loved ones.”

It comes after the families of the five victims accused Starmer’s government of “deliberate silence” last month following the findings of an inquest. 

“The truth has finally been established in a court of law. Our loved ones were innocent. They were unarmed. They should never have been killed. Yet almost three weeks on, the British Government has chosen to say nothing,” they said in a statement. 

“That silence is not oversight – it is a continuation of the injustice our families have faced for over 50 years. It compounds the hurt and reinforces the sense that our loved ones’ lives do not carry equal weight.”

‘Important milestone’

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill said Starmer’s apology is “an important acknowledgement of the suffering endured by these families over many decades” but that “nothing can undo the pain and loss experienced by those who lost loved ones”.

“The Springhill families deserve the truth, and they deserve to have that truth publicly recognised,” she said.

“The Springhill families now join the families of Bloody Sunday and Ballymurphy, whose determined campaigns secured official findings and public acknowledgement of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of their loved ones.

These moments matter not only because they recognise individual loss, but because they affirm and expose the actions of the British Army against the Springhill community.

O’Neill said that while today is a significant moment for the Springhill families, many families continue to wait for truth, accountability and acknowledgement where their loved ones were killed in a similar manner.

She also called on the UK government to “end its cruel and cynical approach to legacy”.

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said Starmer’s apology was “an important acknowledgement of the profound suffering these families have endured for more than five decades”.

“Today is an important milestone for the Springhill families. I extend my solidarity to them all on behalf of Sinn Féin.”

SDLP Leader Claire Hanna said the apology reinforces the findings of the inquest earlier this year and “confirms a truth that families and the wider community have known for more than five decades”. 

“It should never have taken more than 50 years for these families to receive this acknowledgement. I pay tribute to them for their strength and determination on this difficult journey,” she said.

“The failure of successive governments to provide effective, ECHR-compliant legacy mechanisms has denied families the truth and accountability they deserve for far too long.”

With reporting from Press Association