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Bloody Sunday Inquiry: Le famiglie felici per la “giornata storica”

Families welcome ‘historic day’

Bloody Sunday families came out of the Guildhall in Derry to triumphant applause following the publication of the Saville report into the deaths of unarmed civilians in 1972.

Bloody Sunday relativesThirteen people were shot dead at a civil rights march in the Bogside area of Derry on 30 January 1972.

Relatives waved a copy of Lord Saville’s mammoth report as they listened to the Prime Minister’s speech in the House of Commons.

Michael McKinney, whose 27-year-old brother was shot dead, said:

“My brother was murdered by paratroopers on Bloody Sunday. This is a historic day for Derry”.

“Today the waiting has come to an end”.

The first inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday, overseen by Lord Chief Justice Widgery, was published in April 1972.

Widgery’s report effectively exonerated the paratroopers, concluding that they had fired in self-defence against men armed with bombs and weapons.

Outraged by findings they described as a “whitewash”, the Bloody Sunday families launched a campaign for a second inquiry. They got their wish in 1998 when Prime Minister Tony Blair announced the new investigation, chaired by Lord Saville.

Tony Doherty, whose father Paddy Doherty was shot dead near Rosville Flats on Bloody Sunday said:

“The victims have been vindicated”.

“The parachute regiment have been disgraced…their medals of honour have to be removed”.

“Widgery’s great lie has been laid bare”.

19 year old William Nash was killed by a single shot to his chest.

Eyewitness accounts state that Nash was unarmed and was going to the aid of someone else when he himself was shot. His sister Kate Nash said:

“We know he was innocent, we’ve always known and now the world knows”.

Jim Wray was 22 he was shot twice, the first bullet travelled ‘superficially’ from right to left across his body, the second bullet entered his back and travelled from right to left.

Eyewitnesses said Wray was shot and wounded and then was shot dead, from close range, while he lay on the ground. His family said:

“He was deliberately shot. This inquiry has vindicated the Wray family and much more so the people of Derry. We always knew the truth”, his family said.

“Jim was innocent”.

“Jim was murdered”.

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René Querin

Di professione grafico e web designer, sono appassionato di trekking e innamorato dell'Irlanda e della sua storia. Insieme ad Andrea Varacalli ho creato e gestisco Les Enfants Terribles.

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