British Soldier F gets away with murder.

[AnyName1]

I know little is taught in British schools about the north of Ireland, so wondered if people were aware of this shocking case.

villagemagazine.ie/the-guilt-of-an-unscrupulous-former-lord-chief-justice-in-the-soldier-f-cover-up-paratrooper-who-murdered-unarmed-civilians-on-bloody-sunday-has-been-protected-by-the-british-state-for-five-decades-an/

"Soldier F also known as ‘Dave’ will not now face criminal charges for the murder of innocent civilians in Derry on Bloody Sunday, 30 January 1972. This is because the statement he made after the Bloody Sunday massacre was not taken by the RUC, but rather by the Royal Military Police. These statements have been deemed inadmissable as evidence. Since this was standard procedure at the time, it probably means that no soldiers will be prosecuted for murder in Northern Ireland.

The policy of excluding the RUC from the investigation of killings caused by British solidiers came into existence after Brigadier Frank Kitson took over in Belfast.

Earlier this year Judge James O’Hara presided over the trial of two paratroopers accused of shooting Official IRA volunteer, Joe McCann. He was shot while he ran away from the soldiers. After the trial collapsed, the judge pointed out that:

At that time, in fact until late 1973, an understanding was in place between the RUC and the Army whereby the RUC did not arrest and question, or even take witness statements from, soldiers involved in shootings such as this one. This appalling practice was designed, at least in part, to protect soldiers from being prosecuted and in very large measure it succeeded."

In dirty guerilla wars you have to fight to the same rules. Our troops need more support from malicious prosecutions

So you agree with shooting civilians? Wow

@Whoarethewho

I'm pleased by the ruling. In dirty guerilla wars you have to fight to the same rules. Our troops need more support from malicious prosecutions.

Which rule was the child that was shot in the face fighting to?

Christ on a bike, some of the comments on this thread are un-fucking-believably ignorant

They were guilty. They were mean to be a peace keeping force & the paras were a law unto themselves & were gunning people down in cold blood. Including a teen boy who was running away, what if that was your DS. They broke rules & deserve to be prosecuted fir cold blooded murder, fir regardless of anything else, that's example what it was & in breach of Geneva Convention too. Everything else is irrelevant, awful or not

Urgh autocorrect

@Fuckingcrustybread

When countries are at war no soldiers should be prosecuted. I'll support prosecution of all British soldiers when all IRA soldiers are equally prosecuted.

Eh what shite is this!!?? The military cannot and should not be beyond the fucking law!!! Murder is murder.

I don't support military forces at all, but outside of direct state sanctioned actions (sickening enough) the soldiers do not get carte blanche to kill anyone they fancy, let alone children who are fucking running away for Christ's sake.

@Whoarethewho

I'm pleased by the ruling. In dirty guerilla wars you have to fight to the same rules. Our troops need more support from malicious prosecutions.

A girl shot in the back by a British soldier was treated like a piece of meat, an eyewitness said. Majella O'Hare, aged 12 and from the village of Whitecross in Co Armagh, had been walking to church in August 1976 when she was struck by two bullets, Amnesty International said. Her family has demanded an independent investigation into her death. Amnesty is helping organise the campaign for justice as part of its wider effort to ensure former armed forces members during the 30-year conflict are not "above the law". It has taken testimony from witnesses to the killing. Nurse Alice Devlin went to Majella's aid and described the schoolgirl's treatment after a helicopter arrived to bring her to hospital. She said: "Majella was lifted just like a piece of meat and thrown in head first." She alleged: "They just wanted to get her off the road, get rid of her, get her out of the way." She travelled in the helicopter with the child but she was pronounced dead upon arrival at Newry's Daisy Hill Hospital. Ms Devlin added: "I know now that on our way in Majella had passed."

At the time soldiers claimed the shooting had been in response to an IRA sniper attack.
A soldier was later charged by the Royal Ulster Constabulary with manslaughter but acquitted in court.
In 2011, the UK government issued an apology to the O'Hare family in a letter which acknowledged the soldier's courtroom explanation was "unlikely".
The family want the record set straight on what happened to Majella and have written to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) requesting an independent investigation.
Ms Devlin said she saw Majella lying on the road with her late father Jim kneeling over her.
"You can imagine what it was like for that father to see his child lying dying on the road."
She said the soldiers told him to get away.
He said: "But that is my baby."
She said the child was badly wounded and she was giving her CPR on the road when the helicopter landed to bring her to hospital.
Police said the death sits within the caseload of its Legacy Investigation Branch (LIB) for future review in accordance with a case sequencing system.
A spokeswoman added: "Regrettably, due to the LIB caseload, which extends to more than 1,100 incidents touching on over 1,400 deaths, we are unable to give any undertaking as to when this review will commence.
"PSNI supports the establishment of alternative legacy architecture, however responsibility for that rests within the political sphere."
She said in the absence of such alternative arrangements, PSNI will continue to fulfil its statutory obligations and remain committed to providing the best possible service it can to families who lost loved ones.
The girl's brother Michael O'Hare said: "The truth cannot be concealed any longer.
"We need an investigation, there must be justice for Majella.
"The truth must out.
"My family deserve accountability for what happened."
Grainne Teggart, Amnesty International's Northern Ireland campaign manager, said it had been 44 torturous years for Majella's family.
"Justice must be done.
"Witnesses to the horrific events of that day are ready to help with an independent investigation, the passage of time has not diminished their memory.
"Their appeal to the PSNI to establish this long overdue investigation must be heard.
"The family have had an apology from the UK Government, but this rings hollow without action and accountability."

it a time to make childish remarks with comments like "and"! I find this thread totally offensive and full of ignorance!

Why is it childish to say some posts are ignorant? Are you honestly saying there isn't ignorance on this thread?

@minniebin
🙄 I clearly stated the thread is full of ignorance!

I didn't see the ! after " & thought the post said it's childish to call out posts as ignorant. Apologies, I agree with you.

@Whoarethewho

I'm pleased by the ruling. In dirty guerilla wars you have to fight to the same rules. Our troops need more support from malicious prosecutions.

Our troops? Who is the “we” in this “our”? Do you mean “British”?

…the people killed were UK citizens.

If “your troops” had murdered your family, would you want justice?

Or by “our troops” do you mean “English, and not those paddy bastards in NI who are presumably all IRA anyway”?

@CantBeAssed

I really believe that unless you were present that day,to witness first hand what happened you will never know enough to give an honest opinion. It was a different time, a different atmosphere, totally unimaginable to people who didn't live among it or witness it. Leave the past in the past. The truth will never be known..

It is not the past - it is our present. The families of those murdered live with the loss and the lack of justice every single day. My present is that I live in a country where the army can shoot unarmed citizens. It is not “unimaginable” to anyone in NI.

@Whoarethewho

I'm pleased by the ruling. In dirty guerilla wars you have to fight to the same rules. Our troops need more support from malicious prosecutions.

That's not how the law of armed conflict works. Educate yourself.

@queenmeadhbh....where did I say it was "unimaginable to anyone in northern Ireland"?🧐

@RuggerHug

Happy Googling, researchering etc🤣
if you ever want to ask any questions feel free to PM. I was born in 1974 so only a teenager when the Berlin wall was demolished and never into politics or watching the news. but happy to answer, if I can, if you want a personal perspective!

[quote ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba]@RuggerHug

Happy Googling, researchering etc🤣
if you ever want to ask any questions feel free to PM. I was born in 1974 so only a teenager when the Berlin wall was demolished and never into politics or watching the news. but happy to answer, if I can, if you want a personal perspective![/quote]
Thanks!! Likewise for Irish stuff to you

@AnyName1

thanks for posting, it’s good to educate people on these things

I’m English but Irish parents, and shared a flat for my uni years with 3 girls from the north of Ireland. Irish history is almost totally omitted from English education (except at A Level, if history is chosen). So it’s no wonder some of the PP have the views that they have.

To some of the prior posters , two wrongs do not make a right, how do IRA murders make it okay for British soldiers to slaughter innocent people including teenagers ?

If this was in England, in Leeds let’s say and you were a member of the Anglican Church, and being discriminated against and denied civil rights, so you peacefully protested to be shot and killed by British soldiers. Would that be okay in your eyes because other members of your community may or may not have been members of a terrorist organisation? And the soldiers that killed you should just get away with it?

You do know the IRA are not an official army such as the Irish or British army ?

Of course the British army should be held accountable for the pain and suffering they caused innocent people. As should anyone else involved in the troubles. 2 wrongs do not make a right.

[quote Gakatsbsk]@AnyName1

thanks for posting, it’s good to educate people on these things

I’m English but Irish parents, and shared a flat for my uni years with 3 girls from the north of Ireland. Irish history is almost totally omitted from English education (except at A Level, if history is chosen). So it’s no wonder some of the PP have the views that they have.

To some of the prior posters , two wrongs do not make a right, how do IRA murders make it okay for British soldiers to slaughter innocent people including teenagers ?

If this was in England, in Leeds let’s say and you were a member of the Anglican Church, and being discriminated against and denied civil rights, so you peacefully protested to be shot and killed by British soldiers. Would that be okay in your eyes because other members of your community may or may not have been members of a terrorist organisation? And the soldiers that killed you should just get away with it?[/quote]
This is a really good comparison 👏 hopefully makes people understand what happened

@aprilanne

As the great grandchild of a. catholic Irish immigrant. If this is true and they just opened fire for no reason that's beyond appalling and yes someone should be brought to account .but we cannot prosecute one side without looking at IRA behaviour what about the comfort letters Tony Blair's government gave to ira terrorists. One trial of an ira terrorist collapsed because of those letters .so yes everyone who participated in down right murder should face justice. Not just one side and one incident .both sides should be ashamed of there behaviour

What do you mean by both sides?

Do you think IRA and British Army are the two
Sides

Where do the loyalists fit in

Is it a triangle

@aprilanne

Mare mare of course I am aware of the loyalist paramilitaries .who were also embroiled in murdering thuggery .but the op post was about the British paras behaviour. It was a time of savagery and god help people like my great grandparents in a mixed religion marriage

Aren't you a marcher?

@Whoarethewho

I'm pleased by the ruling. In dirty guerilla wars you have to fight to the same rules. Our troops need more support from malicious prosecutions.

Now you're just being a GF

@Whoarethewho, few people would shed any tears for guerilla fighters, or terrorists of any ilk shot on active service, but you are drawing a completely false equivalence. We are talking about unarmed civilians being shot by frontline army regiments armed to the teeth.

What do you mean by both sides?

Do you think IRA and British Army are the two sides

Where do the loyalists fit in

Given the collusion between British establishment/ forces and the loyalist paramilitaries, maybe 2 sides is an accurate description.

Some of you seem to be under a misapprehension about the role of the British army in the Troubles. The army was brought in as a peacekeeping force - to maintain peace and stability in a region where tensions and sectarian violence had escalated between two groups of people (the Republicans and the Loyalists/Unionists). They should have taken a neutral stance in the conflict. Instead, they colluded with the Loyalist forces and, in the case of the Ballymurphy massacre and Bloody Sunday, engaged in the slaughter of innocent civilians. Do you think the actions of the British army helped the situation or inflamed the situation? I'm no IRA apologist and I wouldn't hesitate to say that they committed atrocities. As did the Loyalist groups. But in many cases, these terrorists were put on trial, convicted of their crimes, and served time in prison for those crimes. The British soldiers who committed atrocities haven't been made accountable and the families (and communities) of their innocent victims are understandably bitter that they are still waiting for justice.

The people on here who think the British military shouldn’t be held accountable for anything because the IRA did bad things too are fucking insane.

So the people the British army were supposed to be protecting us from did bad things?? Shocking.

THE ARMY WERE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT US AND THEY LET THEIR SOLDIERS GET AWAY WITH KILLING OUR CHILDREN FOR NO REASON.

For fuck sake.