Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Families hold photographs of the victims of Bloody Sunday and march through the Bogside in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, Thursday March 14, 2019. A former British soldier is set to be prosecuted in connection with the deaths of two civil rights protesters in Northern Ireland more than 40 years ago, part of an event known as Bloody Sunday. (Liam McBurney/PA via AP)

LONDON (AP) — A former British soldier is set to be prosecuted in connection with the deaths of two civil rights protesters in Northern Ireland 47 years ago, part of an incident known as Bloody Sunday, prosecutors said Thursday.

The former soldier, identified as soldier "F," was a member of the 1st Battalion Parachute Regiment sent to the protest in Londonderry on Jan. 30, 1972. The veteran will face prosecution for the murders of James Wray and William McKinney and the attempted murders of Joseph Friel, Michael Quinn, Joe Mahon and Patrick O'Donnell.

Sixteen other soldiers under investigation will not face prosecution in the shootings, which took place at the height of the unrest in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.

The charges follow a decade-long investigation that concluded soldiers killed 13 unarmed demonstrators protesting Britain's detention of suspected Irish nationalists. But the results of the inquiry that concluded in 2010 could not be used in any prosecution, and Thursday's charges resulted from a separate police investigation into the incident.

"I wish to clearly state that where a decision has been reached not to prosecute, that this is in no way diminishes any finding by the Bloody Sunday Inquiry that those killed or injured were not posing a threat to any of the soldiers," Stephen Herron, the director of public prosecutions for Northern Ireland, said as he announced the charges. "We recognize the deep disappointment felt by many of those we met with today."

The victims' families have called for justice, while supporters of the soldiers say it is unfair for them to face charges decades after the events.

More: Ireland
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Catholic digital content creators reflect on their experiences at the Vatican's first-ever Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers.
America Media’s Kevin Christopher Robles, studio production associate, at work in Rome in May. Photo by J.D. Long García.
Kerry Weber: “The Lilly grant is going to give us the opportunity to tell our stories in a more in-depth way and tell new stories that we may not have had the resources to tell otherwise.”
J.D. Long GarcíaJuly 30, 2025
Nothing in my life has been as freeing as the realization that not everyone is going to love, like or approve of me.
James Martin, S.J.July 29, 2025
As hundreds of Catholic content creators descend on Rome for the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers, it’s worth asking: What’s the best way to evangelize online?