SDLP West Belfast representative Paul Doherty has welcomed a legal victory for the Ballymurphy families after they received ‘significant’ damages which have concluded a number of civil actions against the MOD and Chief Constable.

Mr Doherty said that the memory of pain and loss will remain with people in West Belfast for a long time but today’s result is a victory for the families and the memory of their loved ones.

Paul Doherty said:

“The findings of the Inquest led by Lady Chief Justice Siobhan Keegan were stark and undeniable. They delivered the truth that families in Ballymurphy have known for decades – their loved ones were entirely innocent.

“Today’s result is a further victory for the families who have endured a decades-long struggle for truth.  Damages can never undo the wrongs of the past or bring those who were taken from our community back but it is an important acknowledgement of the scale of wrongdoing and the pain that these families have been put through.

“The British Government should listen to voices like those of the Ballymurphy families who have been a rock of support for other victims and survivors. Their battle has been long fought but it proves the value of sustaining routes toward truth, justice and accountability. This government is about to shut those opportunities down for others. They cannot be allowed to get away with it without a strong fight from political leaders in the North.”