Ballymurphy families furious at ‘last-minute’ disclosure of MoD files days before inquest
FAMILIES of those killed by the Army in Ballymurphy over three days in 1971 have expressed anger at an “11th hour” disclosure by the Ministry of Defence — seven days before an inquest is due to start.
Solicitor for the families, Padraig O Muirigh, said the last minute discovery of a database — documenting details of 4,733 soldiers from the Parachute Regiment, Queen’s Regiment and Queen’s Division who had been serving at the time of the 1971 shootings — was “a disgraceful attempt by the MoD to derail the process”.
And the families, who have waited 47 years for the inquest, say they are angry at what they see as a “dirty deed” at the “11th hour” to delay the hearings, due to start on September 10.
Ten people were killed over three days in August 1971 when the Army moved into Ballymurphy in West Belfast to arrest IRA suspects after internment without trial was introduced.
The inquest, granted in 2011, has already been held up by many preliminary hearings.
Mr O Muirigh said: “The coroner is duty-bound to interrogate this new database the MOD have suddenly found and that could take a considerable period of time. At this stage we have no idea how long that will be.
“These families have fought long and hard to get to this stage and were ready to finally have their day in court.
“Clearly this is another attempt by the MoD to delay the inquest. The current hearings started in 2011 and we’ve had preliminary hearing after preliminary hearing where the MoD gave no indication that this database existed.
“Suddenly we’re expected to believe at this late stage that there are several thousand soldiers on a database that they weren’t aware of when they were directed to do this a long, long time ago.”
Mr O’Muirigh said the families are “very concerned and very, very angry”.
He added: They would ask
Eileen McKeown and John Teggart, relatives of the Ballymurphy victims, speak to the media during a press conference in West Belfast
that the coroner would see this in the same light as they and I do, as an attempt to derail the process.
“The coroner has asked for a response from the MoD to explain why it took until August 29 to disclose this information by 12 noon on Monday, September 3.
“She further wants to be informed of the name and rank of the person in the MOD, and the name and the rank of their superior officer, who made a decision to withhold this information from the Coroner’s Service
until now. There is another preliminary hearing listed for next Thursday.
“One option is to ask the MoD to that hearing to explain this disgraceful situation.
“The greatest concern for the families is that it’s adjourned for a lengthy period of time. We understand there is work to be done but it needs done without any unreasonable delay.”
John Teggart, whose father Daniel was among those killed between August 9 and 11 1971, says the families are refusing to
be humiliated by the MOD, and claimed it was an attempt to derail the inquest.
“We hope that the coroner is focused on our inquest starting on September 10 and will be able to see this move for what it is. It’s a dirty deed”, he said.
“What they’re trying to do is humiliate the coroner and humiliate our families. We know the coroner is duty-bound to look at this new information, but what they’ve tried to do is derail the inquest and I just hope that they’re not successful.”
An MoD spokesman said: “Following a request from the coroner, we have provided information which may help with the inquest’s proceedings.
“We continue to support the coroner’s intention to start the inquest on September 10 and reject the suggestion that we’re looking to delay proceedings.”
A Catholic priest and a mother-of-eight were among those killed during three days of gunfire involving members of the Parachute Regiment. Another man died of a heart attack.