‘We still won’: Bloody Sunday relatives respond after Soldier F acquitted

Soldier F has been acquitted of the murders of Willie McKinney and James Wray, and the attempted murders of six other men, on Bloody Sunday in 1972. During a civil rights march in Derry, British soldiers shot and killed 14 unarmed civilians and injured at least 15 others. The families of the victims have pursued justice for over five decades, leading to Soldier F becoming the first British soldier prosecuted for the events. Despite the acquittal, relatives of those killed, like Mickey McKinney, whose brother Willie was shot dead, expressed a sense of victory in their long fight. They highlighted that their efforts forced the British government to hold a lengthy Saville Inquiry, which concluded that the marchers posed no threat and that soldiers had lost control and fired without warning. Prime Minister David Cameron had previously offered an apology for the "unjustified and unjustifiable" actions. The families' pursuit of accountability continued for another 15 years, culminating in the trial of Soldier F. Although he was cleared because the prosecution failed to meet the high burden of proof for individual guilt, the judge acknowledged the horrific nature of the shootings and the soldiers' loss... download the app to read more