The Ministry of Defence has said it will compensate families of victims of the Bloody Sunday shootings in Derry’s Bogside in 1972 during a civil rights march
Twenty-six unarmed protestors and bystanders were shot by soliders of the British army during the march. Thirteen males, seven of whom were teenagers, died immediately or soon after, while another victim died four months later, from injuries attributed to that day.
No figures have yet been given. The MoD made small payments without accepting responsibility in 1974, but Lord Saville’s 12-year inquiry concluded last year that the killings had been unjustified.
Peter Madden of Belfast law firm Madden & Finucane, which is representing some of the families of deceased victims and some of those who were wounded, says: “In 1974 ex-gratia payments of compensation were made to the victims of Bloody Sunday.
“The amounts paid were based on the flawed conclusions of Lord Widgery and were derisory and wholly inappropriate in amount. The victims will not, therefore, be compensated ‘twice’ as has been claimed by some commentators.”
Madden said discussions would “shortly” commence to resolve the issue.
