Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has apologised on behalf of the UK Government to the families of five people who were shot dead in west Belfast in 1972.
In April, a coroner concluded that British Army soldiers “did not use reasonable force” in the shooting of a Catholic priest, a father-of-six and three teenagers at Springhill/Westrock on July 9 1972.
Mr Justice Scoffield said Father Noel Fitzpatrick, 42, father-of-six Patrick Butler, 38, and teenagers David McCafferty and Margaret Gargan were unarmed and posed no risk when they were shot.
The coroner said he was unable to conclude whether the other teenager, 16-year-old John Dougal, was armed when he was shot.
He said the teenager was a member of the junior wing of the Provisional IRA but added that on balance he concluded that John had not progressed into the ranks of the adult IRA.
The coroner said even if the teenager had been in possession of a firearm, he was not using it and was likely to have been running away when he was shot in the back.
The families of those killed had called for a public apology and had recently criticised the Government over its “silence” after the inquest findings.
The Prime Minister has now written to the families individually to personally apologise for what happened and the grief and suffering they have endured.
He also made a formal apology in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
Speaking at the start of Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said: “The findings of the recent Springhill inquest into the tragic deaths in July 1972 of Father Noel Fitzpatrick, Patrick Butler, Margaret Gargan, David McCafferty and John Dougal are sobering.
“While the circumstances in which the events occurred were undoubtedly challenging, it is the duty of the state to hold itself to the highest standard.
“The Government accepts and deeply regrets these findings, and recognises their gravity.
“On behalf of the Government, I want to apologise unreservedly to the families for what happened and for the grief and trauma that they have endured since the tragic deaths of their loved ones.”
First Minister Michelle O’Neill said Sir Keir’s apology is “an important acknowledgement of the suffering endured by these families over many decades” but that “nothing can undo the pain and loss experienced by those who lost loved ones”.
“The Springhill families deserve the truth, and they deserve to have that truth publicly recognised,” she said.
“The Springhill families now join the families of Bloody Sunday and Ballymurphy, whose determined campaigns secured official findings and public acknowledgement of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of their loved ones.
“These moments matter not only because they recognise individual loss, but because they affirm and expose the actions of the British Army against the Springhill community.
“While today marks an important and significant moment for the Springhill families, there remain many families who continue to wait for truth, accountability and acknowledgement where their loved ones were killed as in a manner similar to Bloody Sunday, Ballymurphy and Springhill.”
The Sinn Fein vice-president also called on the Government to “end its cruel and cynical approach to legacy”.
“The cynical handling of legacy issues from the British Prime Minister, including his prioritisation of the interests of British state forces over victims and families, has undermined confidence in current legacy mechanisms and deepened hurt,” she said.
“If he is serious about dealing with legacy, this approach must end.”
