Sinn Fein justice spokesperson Raymond McCartney
The party’s Justice spokesperson was speaking following a meeting between the families of Paul Whitters and Julie Livingstone, who were killed in 1981 by plastic bullets fired by the RUC and British army, and the British Secretary of State Karen Bradley.
Raymond McCartney said: “The families of Paul Whitters and Julie Livingstone have been waiting almost 40 years for truth and justice so this decision to seal the files on their killings is callous in the extreme.
“The British Secretary of State told the families that they will have to apply for the files under a Freedom of Information request, as the files are the property of the National Archives at Kew, London, and no longer anything to do with her or her office.
“It is beyond time British government ended its culture of cover up and made the files available to the families in order for them to get answers.
“In fact the British Secretary of State has given no confidence to victims that she has any intention of dealing with the legacy of the conflict which adds a major obstacle to the broader reconciliation process.
“The British government needs to end its stalling tactics on the implementation of the legacy mechanisms agreed at Stormont House five years ago.”
