New statute may protect soldiers against Troubles ‘witch hunt’

NORTHERN IRELAND veterans should be given safeguards to protect them from being “hauled out of their beds and dragged to Belfast” to face investigation into alleged historical abuses, the Defence Secretary has said.

Sir Michael Fallon suggested to MPS he wanted to see a statute of limitations considered for alleged crimes committed by troops during the Troubles.

Sir Michael also said inquiries into historical killings should only be reopened if there was significant new evidence.

Last year it was reported that all British soldiers involved in fatal shooting incidents during the Troubles in Northern Ireland would face fresh criminal investigation.

The news sparked anger among veterans who claimed they were being pursued by a “witch hunt” over incidents that can date back nearly 50 years.

They have also alleged investigations are disproportionately looking at deaths involving security forces. Paramilitary terrorists are thought to have been responsible for 90 per cent of killings.

The Commons defence committee earlier this year suggested veterans who served before the Good Friday peace agreement should be protected “by a statute of limitations preventing further investigation and prosecution of incidents which occurred”.

The committee concluded: “Unless a decision is taken to draw a line under all Troubles-related cases, without exception, they will continue to grind on for many years to come – up to half-acentury after the incidents concerned.”

Sir Michael yesterday told the committee the Government was looking at “alternative approaches” allowing Northern Ireland to “draw a line under the past, which might involve a statute of limitations”.

He said: “I personally think, and the Government I hope will share this view, that it is worth the province starting to think about this. It’s an approach that has been successful in other countries and I hope you would agree that is one of the approaches that should be canvassed.

“So far as our own veterans are concerned, I am separately determined that this should be neither a witch hunt nor any kind of fishing expedition that sees our veterans, who were defending the state, being hauled from their beds and dragged across to Belfast.

“I want to see safeguards now in this process to ensure there are no investigations unless there are very strong grounds to reopen cases … such as the emergence of new evidence.”