Soldier F, a former British paratrooper, is standing trial in Belfast for the 1972 Bloody Sunday killings after decades of legal battles and calls for justice.
A former British soldier, known only as Soldier F, appeared in court on Monday accused of murder and attempted murder during the 1972 Bloody Sunday shootings in Northern Ireland. The ex-paratrooper is charged with the killing of James Wray, 22, and William McKinney, 26, as well as the attempted murder of five others.
The trial, taking place in Belfast, began under strict anonymity provisions. Soldier F, who has pleaded not guilty, appeared behind a curtain before a judge without a jury. Outside the courthouse, relatives of victims gathered, holding photographs of their loved ones as the landmark proceedings got underway.
Bloody Sunday occurred on January 30, 1972, when British soldiers opened fire on unarmed civil rights demonstrators in Derry, killing 13 and wounding at least 15 others. A later inquiry found the shootings were “unjustified and unjustifiable,” leading former Prime Minister David Cameron to issue an apology in 2010.
Relatives say they have waited decades for this moment. “We’re here now, at last, after all this time. It’s not nervousness, it’s anticipation more so,” one family member told PA Media.