Four former soldiers in the British Army have been charged in connection with incidents that took place in Belfast during The Troubles in 1972. These prosecutions are likely the last to be brought for incidents during this period of sectarian strife. The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill will come into effect in May 2024. The charges are as a result of actions by temporary army units that were operating in Belfast at that time, specifically the Military Reaction Force (MRF). Patrick McVeigh, a Catholic and former soldier, was shot and killed in the city in May 1972, for which charges have been filed against the former soldiers.
Along with being charged in connection with the murder of McVeigh, one retired soldier known as Soldier F is also accused of attempting to murder four others wounded during the same night and two men the night before at Belfast’s Slievegallion Drive. Witnesses said the soldiers opened fire on a vigilante group with local residents, to which the soldiers then claimed in an inquest that they had been fired upon and were returning fire. McVeigh’s daughter has stated the family needs her father’s name cleared and feels it was an injustice for her father to be killed.
The decisions made by the PPS regarding these charges follow the consideration of several reports. The controversial Legacy Bill will provide immunity to former soldiers and paramilitary members who cooperate with a new truth recovery body, known as the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery. Despite this, some legacy cases must conclude by April or be discontinued as a result of the Legacy Bill being put into effect.