One out of 17 soldiers will be charged over the Bloody Sunday killings
One former British soldier is to be charged with the murder of civilians on Bloody Sunday in Derry in January 1972.
Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service considered whether there was sufficient evidence to bring charges against 18 former soldiers, one of whom has since died.
The director of public prosecutions for Northern Ireland, Stephen Herron, said: “It has been concluded that there is sufficient available evidence to prosecute one former soldier, Soldier F, for the murder of James Wray and William McKinney, and for the attempted murders of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon and Patrick O’Donnell.
“In respect of the other 18 suspects, including 16 former soldiers and two alleged Official IRA members, it has been concluded that the available evidence is insufficient to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction.”
This means that 16 of the 17 soldiers will not face charges for the murder of civilians.
The man, referred to as Soldier F, will be prosecuted for the murders of James Wray and William McKinney, as well as the attempted murders of four other people.
According to RTÉ, the retired soldier is expected to robustly contest the charges.
Fourteen civilians were killed when British soldiers fired on a crowd after a civil rights march in the city.
Relatives of the deceased have waited for decades to see whether or not the individuals will be charged.
The PPS also said prosecutors would consider charges against others in relation to allegations of perjury relating to the reports surrounding the Bogside massacre.
Herron added: “I am mindful that it has been a long road for the families to reach this point and today will be another extremely difficult day for them.
“There has been a level of expectation around the prosecution decisions in the light of the findings of the Bloody Sunday inquiry. However, much of the material which was available for consideration by the inquiry is not admissible in criminal proceedings due to strict rules of evidence that apply.
“We recognise the deep disappointment felt by many of those we met with today. As prosecutors, we are required to be wholly objective in our approach.”
