LONDON (AP) — A former British paratrooper was found not guilty Thursday on murder charges relating to the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre in Northern Ireland that saw 13 people killed in a flurry of bullets.
Judge Patrick Lynch ruled at Belfast Crown Court that prosecutors failed to prove that the veteran identified only as “Soldier F” had opened fire, with intent to kill, on unarmed civilians who were running to safety.
Soldier F was the only soldier ever charged in connection with the events on Jan. 20, 1972 in Londonderry, also known as Derry. It was one of the deadliest incidents of the period known as “The Troubles,” the conflict between mainly Catholic supporters of a united Ireland and predominantly Protestant forces who wanted Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom.
In addition to the 13 killed, 15 others were wounded on Bloody Sunday. Survivors have spoken of the confusion, chaos and terror as soldiers opened fire and bodies began falling after a large civil rights march through the city.
The verdict was a blow to families of victims who have spent more than a half-century seeking justice.
While the sectarian violence largely ended with the 1998 Good Friday peace accord and Northern Ireland has become a beacon of hope for other conflicts around the world, tensions remain.
The verdict in detail
Soldier F was shrouded from view in court by a curtain throughout the five-week trial, and did not testify in his defense. It was a nonjury trial, as has been the standa …