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Posted by Jim on January 28, 2026

Northern Ireland

Bloody Sunday families express anger at PPS decision over soldiers who lied.

Bloody Sunday families and supporters in Belfast

Brett Campbell

Today at 07:20

The Bloody Sunday families have expressed anger after the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said it would uphold a decision not to prosecute eight former soldiers who were investigated for perjury about the events of Bloody Sunday.

The individuals were investigated for giving false evidence about the events of January 30, 1972 when 13 innocent civilians were murdered and 15 others left injured.

Ciaran Shiels, solicitor for the Bloody Sunday Families and Wounded, said the move will allow ex-Parachute Regiment soldiers who “perverted the course of justice” to escape criminal prosecution.

“Former members of the British military have nothing to fear in relation being held accountable either for murders they committed with impunity in Ireland, or when they subsequently came to lie under oath when seeking to justify the unjustifiable, or when alleging that the innocent victims they murdered were engaged in criminal activity and that they effectively deserved to be shot,” he said in a statement.

Soldiers opened fire during the civil rights march in the Bogside area of the city.

An inquiry, known as the Widgery Tribunal, issued a report within weeks of the atrocity which exonerated the British Army and compounded the hurt felt by victims.

It wasn’t until 2010, following a lengthy campaign for justice amid claims of a cover-up, that all those shot dead were declared innocent.

The findings of the Saville Inquiry overturned the main findings of the Widgery report and outlined a damning account of how soldiers were unjustified in firing more than 100 rifle rounds at protesters who did not pose a threat.

“Despite the contrary evidence given by soldiers, we have concluded that none of them fired in response to attacks or threatened attacks by nail or petrol bombers,” Lord Saville concluded.

The distinguished judge rejected claims that no-one threw, or threatened to throw, nail or petrol bombs at soldiers.

In April 2024, the PPS decided not to prosecute a number of people in relation to allegations of false evidence given to the inquiry.

A PPS spokesperson said: “The review of this legally complex matter is now complete. After a careful analysis of all available evidence and the legal submissions made by the family legal representatives, it has been concluded that the evidential threshold to proceed with a prosecution has not been met.”

They added: “We would further emphasise that today’s decisions in no way diminish the findings by the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.

“A public inquiry and a criminal trial are very different processes and much of the material upon which the Inquiry could rely would not be available to the prosecution having regard to the rules of evidence that apply to criminal proceedings.”

Foyle MP Colum Eastwood expressed “deep disappointment that once again Bloody Sunday families have been let down by the state”.

The former SDLP leader referred to the trial of Soldier F in Belfast which concluded in Belfast last October with the ex-Paratrooper found not guilty of murdering James Wray (22) and William McKinney (26) and cleared of five charges of attempted murder.

At the end of the case, Mr Justice Lynch found that a number of soldiers had been “serially untruthful” about key events on Bloody Sunday and therefore had “committed perjury” before the Widgery and Saville Inquiries.

“It’s impossible to overstate the scale of the burden that has been placed on the families of the dead and injured on Bloody Sunday,” Mr Eastwood said.

“For more than fifty years, they have had to fight every conceivable institution of the state for truth, justice and accountability. Today, again, they have been badly let down by the incredible decision not to prosecute soldiers for perjury during the Widgery and Saville Inquiries.”

The elected representative described the PPS decision as “incredible” in light of the £4.3m taxpayer bill for the defence costs of Soldier F.

“It is not unreasonable to expect that there would be some consequence for those actions,” Mr Eastwood said.

“As I always have, and as the people of Derry always have, we will fully support the Bloody Sunday families in the days and weeks ahead.

“These families are leaving no stone unturned in their pursuit of justice and we’re with them every step of the way.”