In 1971, two people were tragically killed in Derry, including a 14-year-old girl, but no legal action will be initiated against the two soldiers linked to the incidents. The Northern Irish Public Prosecution Service (PPS) confirmed on Monday that Soldier A and Soldier B will not face any charges, following police inquiries into the individual deaths of Annette McGavigan and William McGreanery.
On September 6th, 1971, Ms McGavigan was tragically killed by a British soldier during a riot she was observing in the Bogside, while still in her school uniform, having been allowed to leave school early due to the chaos. Mr McGreanery, a 41-year-old local sports shop manager, was shot in another incident on September 14th by a different soldier and sadly passed away the next day. The Ministry of Defence and the UK government later extended an apology to his family.
On the same day, the McGavigan family’s solicitor announced the Attorney General of the North had given the go-ahead for a new inquest into her death. Assistant Director of the PPS, Martin Hardy, highlighted the lack of sufficient evidence to secure a conviction in both cases. Hardy pointed out considerable difficulties concerning the collection and recording of evidence, the death of major witnesses, and ineffective initial investigations impairing the possibilities of prosecution in these cases.
While Hardy stated that the available evidence pointed to Mr McGreanery being unarmed and not threatening any soldier at the time of his death, it was not adequate to establish Soldier A as the party responsible for his untimely end. As for Ms McGavigan, who was “absolutely innocent”, it could not be established that the supposed suspect fired the lethal shots. Equally, it was impossible to disprove that the shots were in self-defence, aimed at an armed man some witnesses claimed to have seen.
Hardy acknowledged the verdict would hold a significant disappointment for the families of the victims.