An inquest into the shooting of five people in 1972 found the Army 'overreacted to a perceived threat'.
The families of those killed react after the findings of the inquest were delivered on 30 April The families of five people shot dead in Belfast in 1972 have accused the UK government of "deliberate silence" and called for an apology after an inquest found the Army "overreacted to a perceived threat".
Fr Noel Fitzpatrick, 42, father-of-six Patrick Butler, 37, 16-year-old John Dougal, 15-year-old David McCafferty and 13-year-old Margaret Gargan were killed on the Springhill estate on 9 July 1972. A spokesperson for the families said: "In Ballymurphy and Bloody Sunday, when the truth was established, the government responded with public apologies. The same standard must apply here.
""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.
"That silence is not oversight - it is a continuation of the injustice our families have faced for over fifty years. "Families of the dead held up a banner on their way into the court in April The inquest received its final submissions in April 2024, just hours before the deadline imposed by the 2023 Legacy Act to end conflict-related inquests. On April 30, the coroner Mr Justice Scoffield found the force used in all five shootings was "not reasonable".
He also concluded that evidence suggested that "some sporadic rounds were fired" earlier in the evening and rejected the "civilian case that not one round had been fired on the 9th of July". The court heard four of the five people killed were shot by the same soldier, and two were killed by the same bullet.
The coroner said the "force used was not reasonable" and that it was "not in compliance with the yellow card" in the Army's rules of engagement. The coroner said Fr Fitzpatrick, Patrick Butler, and Margaret Gargan were "wholly innocent victims" and David McCafferty was "regarded as an innocent victim". He said while John Dougal's conduct prior to his death "remains unclear and suspicious", he "should not have been shot, having been shot in the back while retreating".
In a statement following the verdict, the Ministry of Defence said they acknowledged the coroner's findings and were "considering them carefully".
"We remain firmly committed to supporting our veterans and to the delivery of truth, recovery, reconciliation, and closure. "
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