A former British army paratrooper known as "Soldier F" was found not guilty Thursday of seven counts of murder and attempted murder resulting from the slaughter on Bloody Sunday in Derry.
There were cries of "shame" in the Belfast courtroom as the verdict was delivered.
"Soldier F" was in court though hidden behind a curtain. If he did not see the reaction of family members of the slain he certainly heard it.
According to a report in the Irish News, families of those cut down by Parachute Regiment soldiers in 1972 packed the public gallery of court 12 as the historic case reached its crushing conclusion.
"Those who lost loved ones, perhaps took some solace as they listened to Judge Patrick Lynch spend two hours delivering his verdict in which he said 'those responsible should hang their heads in shame.'
"He said troops had 'lost all sense of military discipline' as they shot unarmed civilians 'in the back…as they were fleeing from them, on the streets of a British city.'
"But the reality of his final conclusion must have dawned on those who waited to see if Soldier F would finally be held to account for the two murders and five attempted murders he was accused of, when the judge said the evidence fell 'well short' of what was required for a conviction.
Soldier F did not testify in his own defense. He has asserted that he has no clear recollection of what happened on Bloody Sunday when 13 unarmed civilians were gunned down by members of the Parachute Regiment. A 14th victim died later.
After the verdict a statement on behalf of the family of William McKinney, one of the victims, was released by Madden/Finucane Solicitors.
In it, Mickey McKinney, brother of William McKinney said: “Today marks the end of the prosecution of Soldier F for the murder and attempted murder of the innocents on Bloody Sunday.
“The families and wounded and our supporters leave this courthouse with an incredible sense of pride in our achievements.
“Soldier F has been discharged from the defendant’s criminal dock, but it is one million miles away from being an honourable discharge.
“Unlike his victims, there has been no declaration of Soldier F’s innocence.
“Soldier F created 2 young widows on Bloody Sunday and he orphaned 12 children. And he deprived dozens of siblings of a loving brother.
“The Bloody Sunday families do not lay the blame for today’s decision with the trial judge.
“The blame lies firmly: With the British state; With the RUC who failed to investigate the murders on Bloody Sunday properly, or indeed at all; and With the British Army who shielded and enabled its soldiers to continue to murder with impunity, and immunity, and also with the office of the then Director of Public Prosecutions who, with a nod and a wink, complicitly signed off on decisions not to prosecute in 1972 without even raising an eyebrow.
“Most importantly however, responsibility lies with the thugs of Frank Kitson’s private army, the 1st Battalion of the Parachute Regiment who opened fire, and those who directed and protected them.
“Despite the heroism, steadfastness and dignity of the Bloody Sunday Families and Wounded, a coward walks free from the dock.
“Not through the front door of this courthouse like every other vindicated, wrongly accused defendant proudly does, but instead, once his curtain has been pulled back for him, creeping out the back door."
In the U.S. Congressman Richard Neal, co-chair of the Friends of Ireland in Congress, released a statement.
Said Neal: "For decades, I have stood firmly alongside these families in their pursuit of justice and accountability. My conviction about what truly happened on that terrible day in Derry, and the subsequent efforts to deny the truth to the family members of the thirteen victims, has never wavered.
“The victims and their families are on the right side of history, and their strength and resilience throughout this process have been remarkable. As a leader of the Friends of Ireland Caucus in the U.S. Congress, I stand ready to work with them until they finally achieve the closure and accountability they rightfully deserve.”
