Each of the Springhill Massacre families received a personal letter from the Prime Minister. This came AFTER an effective and human rights inquest which rewrote and rectified the inaccurate historical record. Having suffered egregiously for so many years this is a landmark day for these families and gives hope to so many others, who have equal rights to truth, justice and acknowledgement. We owe each of these families, and the injured, a great debt for their courage and dignity.
"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."
https://t.co/QRdBjdX5Al
"I feel sorry for my parents who never lived to see any of this. I will go to their grave now, say a few prayers and let them know we got there in the end."
https://t.co/vrRj5XfECP
RFJ welcomes today’s court decision to quash the Victims’ Payment Board’s ruling in relation to a “paramilitary-style” shootings and attacks. We will review this judgement in full to understand its implications and determine the next steps for those who have submitted their appeals through RFJ and those who are awaiting the outcome of this decision. We will then be in touch as soon as possible.
Confirming what families knew.
MI5 and policing vested interests came together to deny justice to all families, from all backgrounds, affected by all actors, their rights to truth, justice and accountability.
Families have since successfully led the challenges to these shameful efforts
"Whilst there may be differing views and opinions on the conflict, and how we each experienced it, the underpinning of that difference is best served in respectful discussions, not hate. It should no longer be acceptable.
"We need more effective legislative protections for all of the bereaved and injured from hate crimes which celebrate atrocities."
Read Mark Thompson, Relatives for Justice CEO: https://t.co/0UERZW41tG
“We do not defend our security forces - or the many who have served in them with great distinction - by trying to claim otherwise.
Collusion should never, ever happen.
So on behalf of the Government - and the whole country - let me say once again to the Finucane family, I am deeply sorry.”
Prime Minister David Cameron statement on Patrick Finucane
“Mr Speaker, the collusion demonstrated beyond any doubt by Sir Desmond - which included the involvement of state agents in murder - is totally unacceptable.
Collusion should never, ever happen” https://t.co/temFivLHRa
It is wrong and naive to declare the so-called Troubles to be ended while victims are denied justice. No matter how deep the truth is buried, it will continue to seep out like toxic waste and contaminate every effort to bring about a lasting peace. #ScrapTheLegacyAct
In an extract from the new book ‘A Bitter Harvest’, Garbhán Downey looks at the “botched, broken and corrupted investigation” into the 1997 murder.
Read more: https://t.co/gVvh87F8Cd
Statement from the families of Kelly’s Bar atrocity
This day, 54 years ago, 13th of May 1972, at 5.15pm a car bomb planted by loyalist agents of the British State exploded without warning outside Kelly's Bar, injuring 63 people, some of them serious.
John Moran who was seriously injured died from his wounds 10 days later on the 23rd of May.
Gerard Clarke, who was severely injured, eventually succumbed to his injuries dying years later.
Barman, Thomas McAlroy, arrived on the scene to help those injured and was shot dead by loyalist gunmen from Springmartin.
On the 1st May 2024, John's inquest was halted at the 11th hour by the British Government's introduction of the Legacy Act.
Now, two years later, we as family are still waiting.
Meanwhile those working on behalf of families continue to fight for truth and justice, such as Relatives of Justice who have produced 13 significant reports into 16 killings, within the same two year period, the ICRIR have not published one.
The ICRIR have squandered £60 million in the last financial year; resources that a fraction of could have been used to complete all outstanding inquests and police ombudsman investigations.
But as former police ombudsman, Nuala O’Loan stated the ‘ICRIR was set up to fail.’
To learn that this so-called investigation body with almost 300 staff have called in an ‘investigation expert’ to advise them is beyond ridiculous. It exposes this entire sham within the Legacy Act that defies logic and denies victims truth and justice.
We as a family, with the support from Relatives of Justice and Time for Truth will continue to seek the truth.
We like all other families are never giving up.
Mark Thompson, CEO of Relatives For Justice (RFJ), said that over the same period from the formation of the ICRIR, and with a fraction of the staff and resources, RFJ had published nine full family reports “with another four imminent”.
“It is beyond comprehension that an organisation with nearly 300 staff and £250million at its disposal has not completed one report yet, and issued one call for eyewitnesses,” he said.
“The track record of disfunction and lack of delivery vindicates families’ instincts and experience that this institution was never designed to deliver to families. It is a carefully constructed white elephant of British state impunity which deliberately cannot deliver to families’ rights or needs.”