TROUBLES SOLDIERS SENT 1,300 LETTERS MoD QUESTIONING SPARKS BACKLASH

But families of those killed slam ‘lack of respect’

MORE than 1,300 letters have been sent to veteran soldiers in the last six years seeking information on Troubles-era deaths.

Former troops, some in their 70s and 80s, have been contacted about 40 historic incidents dating back to the 1970s.

They include investigations into cases such as Bloody Sunday and the Ballymurphy Massacre, and various other disputed killings.

At least 1,381 such letters have been issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) since 2013.

It has led to fresh claims of a witch-hunt against ex-soldiers. Figures from the MoD show:

• 154 letters were sent last year, and 11 so far this year.

• 455 letters were issued in 2013, 250 in 2014, 288 in 2015, and 223 in 2016.

• 368 of the letters relate to to the Bloody Sunday shootings in 1972, and 297 are linked to the Ballymurphy shootings in 1971.

The figure of 1,381 does not represent the full total, as the MoD did not disclose figures for cases where the number of letters sent was less than 10, to protect the identity of the recipients. This is the case in 30 incidents.

In its response, the MoD said the letters relate to “inquests, ongoing criminal enquiries, and investigations by the former PSNI Historical Enquiries Team”.

Campaign group Justice for Northern Ireland Veterans (JFNIV) has recommended that former soldiers who received letters should “throw them in the bin”.

Former soldier Alan Barry (inset), a JFNIV member, believes it is unreasonable to expect ex-troops to come forward voluntarily as they “have nothing to gain but everything to lose”.

He said: “This is a fishing exercise looking for information. Our advice to veterans remains that they should put these letters in the bin and not co-operate in any shape or form.”

Mr Barry says many veterans have been left shocked after receiving the letters.

He added: “These men being called upon to give evidence in an inquiry are in their late 70s. Their memories might be fading or it may have been a traumatic incident that they were involved in. The next thing is that they will be brought forward as part of a criminal investigation, like Dennis Hutchings.”

Mr Hutchings (77) from Cornwall, formerly of the Life Guards, is due to stand trial in Belfast. He is charged with the attempted murder of Catholic John Pat Cunningham (27) and attempted grievous bodily harm with intent. He denies the charges.

Mr Cunningham, who had a learning disability and feared anyone in uniform, was shot in the back running from an Army patrol near Benburb, Co Tyrone, in 1974. The threat of prosecutions has been strongly criticised by Philip Barden, from Devonshires Solicitors in London, who acts for British troops. He claimed it was further evidence of a witch-hunt.

“No attempt has been made to understand the frailty of memory,” he said. “Former soldiers are asked to recall events and when they can’t, it is suggested they are lying. The whole process is unreliable. I don’t think this is about a quest for the truth. It is about revenge and using the criminal process to that end.

“Soldiers who were investigated and released should not be reinvestigated in the absence of new material and reliable evidence. That should be a line that isn’t crossed.” However Kate Nash, whose brother William (19) was killed on Bloody Sunday in 1972, says families deserve justice.

In 2010, after the Saville Inquiry report into events that day, Prime Minister David Cameron issued a formal apology to the families in the House of Commons, saying the soldiers’ actions were “unjustified and unjustifiable... they were wrong”.

Ms Nash said it is appalling veterans were being advised by campaigners to bin the letters.

“They are basically being told to ignore the rule of law, so where is their respect for the criminal justice process?” she said.

“If they were just doing their job to the best of their ability, then why do they seem to be afraid of transparency?

“They are also showing a total lack of respect for the victims.”

The SDLP’s Dolores Kelly said: “There should be compellability and we would expect former members of the British Army to assist with any inquiry into criminality, especially that of murder.

“Clearly these letters being sent out aren’t working and this is a dreadful exercise in time wasting. There ought to be other mechanisms available to ensure that these people are interviewed. Surely it’s in the interest of any democratic society to see that justice is served?”

Eleven letters have been sent this year in the case of Kathleen Thompson, shot dead in Derry in 1971 during an Army raid.

Letters were issued this year seeking information on the death of Aidan McAnespie, shot as he walked through an Army checkpoint in Co Tyrone in 1988.

The MoD said: “The welfare of our personnel and veterans is of the utmost importance and while the MoD is not responsible for legacy processes, we do assist legal authorities in contacting witnesses to establish relevant facts.

“We also provide legal and pastoral support to any veteran who requires it and often write to veterans to ensure they are aware such support is available.”

It said it had a legal obligation to assist with investigations and inquests. These processes are controlled by investigatory and judicial authorities independently of the MoD.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has launched a new team within the MoD to consider fears over whether serving and former personnel are receiving the legal protection they deserve.