Concern at Bloody Sunday delay

Relatives of the Bloody Sunday victims have described the delay in the publication of the report of the new Saville Inquiry into the 1972 shootings as ‘ridiculous’.

Families of those killed and wounded on Bloody Sunday called on the Inquiry to give an indication of when the final report will be published.

The Saville Inquiry was set up eight years ago to re-examine the events of January 30, 1972, when 13 people were shot dead during a civil rights demonstration in Derry. Another man died from his injuries a few months later. The original inquiry under Lord Widgerym, which reported in 1974, was disregarded as a whitewash by nationalists.

The new inquiry completed its proceedings 18 months ago after hearing the evidence of over 900 witnesses. The final report was due to be published last summer.

However, it has been delayed and a spokesperson for the inquiry yesterday said they could not guarantee that it would be published before the end of the year.

John Kelly, whose 17-year-old brother Michael was among those killed on Bloody Sunday, last night said that it was “ridiculous” that the families have not been given a timescale for the publication of the report.

“Almost two years down the line no one is telling us anything,” said Mr Kelly.

“I think that the inquiry should come out with some form of statement letting us know when we can expect the final report. We have been living in limbo for one and a half years and we think that we are entitled to know what’s happening.”

A spokesperson for the inquiry said: “There are no further updates. The work is currently in preparation and there is a large quantity of material. Under the remit of the inquiry, the report will go to the secretary of state when it is finalised.”

A spokesman for the Britis government yesterday said that it could make no comment on the matter until the report is in the hands of Direct Ruler Peter Hain.

Mr Kelly said the final report should be given to the victims’ families first.

Urgent Appeal