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Disappunto delle famiglie di Ballymurphy dopo incontro con il Segretario di Stato

Ballymurphy families disappointed by talks

Famiglie di Ballymurphy a StormontCampaigners demanding a probe into the deaths of 11 people shot by soldiers during the Troubles said they were disappointed following talks with Secretary of State Owen Paterson.

Bereaved relatives want an independent investigation into what has become known as the Ballymurphy Massacre, where members of the Parachute Regiment are accused of killing unarmed civilians, including a Catholic priest.

The allegations centre on a three-day security operation in west Belfast only months before soldiers shot dead 14 civil rights marchers in Londonderry in 1972.

The families from Ballymurphy have stopped short of demanding a probe along the lines of the costly Bloody Sunday Inquiry that led to an apology from Prime Minister David Cameron.

But yesterday they indicated they had failed to receive any commitment from Mr Paterson for an independent investigation, though the Secretary of State is to meet the families again in the new year.

“We are disappointed,” said John Teggart, whose 44-year-old father Danny died after he was shot 14 times, leaving behind a family of 13 children.

“But we are a strong campaign group. We will go forward and have a further meeting planned for the new year.”

He said relatives had used yesterday’s meeting at Stormont in Belfast to recount how their loved ones were killed.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams and SDLP MLA Alex Attwood accompanied the families.

Mr Attwood later said: “I welcome the meeting with the Secretary of State, where the families outlined their horror and grief resulting from the terrible events of August 1971.

“The Ballymurphy group’s proposal for an apology, an acknowledgement and an independent international investigation is compelling.”

He added: “The British Government needs to accept that for the Ballymurphy Massacre families, and for many others, there needs to be a mechanism for fully independent investigations into deaths and killings in the past.”

Mr Paterson said there was no consensus on how to deal with the past in Northern Ireland.

“That does not mean that we will stop looking for a way to build one,” he said.

“Over the coming months, along with (Northern Ireland Office minister) Hugo Swire, I will be meeting with a range of individuals, groups and political parties to see if we can find a way forward that is broadly acceptable across Northern Ireland.

“If we can do that it will be a significant step towards building the kind of shared future that all of us with the interests of Northern Ireland at heart want to see.”

Video from Utv

[flv:/flv_video/ww_ballymurphy_07102010.flv 590 350]

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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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