Soldiers failed by Troubles inquiry
Minister admits in Telegraph article that there is a risk of ‘seeing the past rewritten’
THE system for investigating murders committed in Northern Ireland during the Troubles “is not working” because it is targeting soldiers rather than terrorists, the Government has admitted.
Writing in today’s Sunday Telegraph, James Brokenshire, the Northern Ireland Secretary, concedes there is an apparent “imbalance” that has led to a “disproportionate” focus on criminal inquiries involving former soldiers.
“I am clear the current system is not working and we are in danger of seeing the past rewritten,” he says.
The Cabinet minister’s admission will fuel urgent demands to end a series of police investigations into historical killings, many of them more than 40 years old.
Yesterday, an estimated 1,000 veterans marched on Downing Street to protest at what they believe is the “hounding” of troops who served in Northern Ireland. Dennis Hutchings, 75, who has been charged with attempted murder over a fatal shooting in 1974, spoke of the collective sense of betrayal.
“There are a few MPs who have had the guts to highlight the gross abuse and witch hunts of servicemen and women of this country,” said Mr Hutchings, from Cornwall. “However, the majority of MPs in this and previous governments – and I include those buggers in the Ministry of Defence who have spent millions on inquiries in Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan – have done absolutely bloody nothing for us.”
Mr Hutchings was cheered by veterans as family members – he has 26 grandchildren and great-grandchildren – looked on. His daughter, Dawn Hadley, said: “He is an innocent man and all the other veterans are innocent. He was serving his country, he didn’t do anything wrong.” His great-grandson Kyle Hadley, 11, said: “I am proud of my great-granddad. I wasn’t going to miss supporting him.”
The rally was organised by the group Justice for Northern Ireland Veterans, which arranged for the protest letter to be handed to Theresa May.
“These soldiers not only faced our enemies on the streets of Ireland but also at home,” the letter said. “The soldiers of that generation believed that they were the good guys risking their lives to protect the people of Ulster.
“We believe the recent arrests directed against former soldiers who served in Northern Ireland are not an attempt at bringing criminals to account. These arrests are political in their intent with the purpose of undermining the confidence of the UK Government and its Armed Forces.”
The veterans pleaded with Mrs May to introduce a statute of limitations to
curtail the prosecutions. “We now look to you Prime Minister for leadership and support.
“We need a Churchill, not a Chamberlain,” concluded the letter.
Veterans came from all over the country to protest at the prosecution of Mr Hutchings. Two other former soldiers are facing prosecution for murder over the death of Joe McCann, an official IRA commander.
In the letter, read out at the rally, the group claimed that Northern Ireland’s director of public prosecutions Barra McGrory “cannot be considered impartial”.
Last week, Mr McGrory told the BBC he was insulted and mystified by claims that he did not act impartially when he brought charges against ex-soldiers.
He said: “We have taken decisions in three Army cases recently, one was not to prosecute and in the other two prosecutions have been initiated.
“In the overall context of what we do these are a tiny number of cases. We receive 40,000 files a year, we take over 2,000 cases a year to the Crown Court, and we are talking here about three cases.
“The reality is that we have prosecuted more legacy cases connected with paramilitary cases than we have in respect of military cases.”
Mr Brokenshire acknowledges the depth of feeling and sense of betrayal, writing: “I believe that with political will, an agreement is within reach to deal with this important and sensitive issue.”