Killed on Bloody Sunday: The victims
Soldier F will appear at Derry’s courthouse this month to face two charges of murder and four of attempted murder over Bloody Sunday in January 1972.
The families say comments made by Kate Nash in the Newsletter last week were “unhelpful” and had caused “outrage” among the other Bloody Sunday families.
Responding to her remarks, Derry solicitor Ciaran Shiels has issued a statement representing the views of most families directly related to the forthcoming Soldier F case.
In a statement signed by eighteen different families, relatives insist that Ms Nash did not speak for the majority of the Bloody Sunday families when calling for no jail time for Soldier F in the Belfast Newsletter article.
“There is no factual basis for her assertions concerning the views of the majority of families, which have caused outrage,” it said.
“The prosecution of Soldier F for murder and attempted murder on Bloody Sunday is the realisation of the third and final limb of the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign which was formed in 1992.
“Notwithstanding that Kate Nash played only a minor involvement towards the latter stages of the campaign for a Public Inquiry, this is a central demand which can hardly have escaped her.
“She does not speak for the majority of the Bloody Sunday families and she did not consult the families or those killed or wounded prior to commenting publicly on a prosecution which does not directly affect her.
“There is no factual basis for her assertions concerning the views of the majority of families, which have caused outrage.
“It is also an extraordinary position for Kate to adopt by suggesting that even if Soldier F is convicted of murder he should not be imprisoned.
“This proposition has no legal basis as the only sentence that a court can pass upon conviction for murder is one of life imprisonment.
“We would strongly urge her to be more circumspect when commenting unhelpfully about ongoing criminal proceedings and to be more respectful towards the families and to the legal process.
“It has taken 47 years to reach this point and remarks which have no factual or legal basis made by someone representative of only herself and whatever agenda she seeks to pursue should receive little further attention.”
This statement is supported by:
Mickey McKinney
Michael Quinn
Joe Mahon
Joe Friel
Caroline O’Donnell
Tony Doherty
John Kelly
Gerry Duddy
Catherine Gillespie
Leo Young
Kevin McDaid
Olive Bonner
Jacqui O’Reilly
Alana Burke
Geraldine Doherty
Jimmy Duddy
Jean Hegarty
Theresa McGowan
