The Lasting Effect of “Bloody Sunday”

The massacre known as “Bloody Sunday” occurred in Northern Ireland on January 30, 1972. On this date, thousands of people were protesting a new law that was enacted in Northern Ireland, which allowed law enforcement to imprison a civilian without the right to a trial. During this protest, troops were deployed to supervise and ensure the safety of civilians; however, the troops were actually the ones who turned this protest into a massacre.

Throughout the protest, the troops fired 108 rounds of ammunition at the unarmed protestors. A total of thirteen people were shot and killed by the troops, with an additional fifteen people being injured. This shooting led to further trouble in Northern Ireland as the British Embassy was burned down in retaliation for the shootings. No true recourse was ever given to the victims of the shootings, and no punishment for the soldier’s terrible acts. In fact, it took until 2016 for the detectives investigating the incident to submit their findings on the matter. Following the submission of this information, the Public Prosecution Service (“PPS”) announced that soldier “F” would face trial for his involvement in “Bloody Sunday”, specifically, he is being accused of killing James Wray and William McKinney. On July 2, 2021, “PPS” announced that they would no longer try soldier “F” for their involvement in “Bloody Sunday” because of their concern that certain pieces of evidence would not be admissible.

However, after PPS announced they were discontinuing the case against Soldier “F”, the family of Mr. McKinney challenged this decision in court. The court agreed with the family of Mr. McKinney and ruled that it was improper for PPS to discontinue the case against soldier “F”. Now, soldier “F” is in fact on trial for being one of those British Soldiers who fired into the crowd of unarmed citizens. He is facing seven different counts, which he has pled not guilty to. These charges include two counts of murder and five counts of attempted murder. Soldier “F” is set to begin trial on Monday, September 15, 2025. He will be behind a curtain in the courtroom to hide his identity from society. Family members of the victims are at the courthouse in support of their loved ones who lost their lives over fifty years ago. The family of Mr. McKinney stated, “Today, we place our trust in the hands of the Public Prosecution Service to finish the job. We hope that they do not let us down … We sincerely thank all those who have joined with us in solidarity today and have supported our justice campaign over the last 50 years.”

While it has been over fifty years since the terrible incident of “Bloody Sunday”, now may be the beginning of potential recourse for the families of the victims and for Northern Ireland as a whole. It will be very interesting to see how this trial unfolds, as it is expected this first week will be crucial to determine what evidence may be admissible in this case.

Article Written by Brennan Kammholz

Sources:

Brian Melley, Ex-British soldier goes on trial for Bloody Sunday killings, ABC NEWS (Sept. 15, 2025, 12:44 A.M.), available at https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/british-soldier-trial-bloody-sunday-killings-125575898 (last visited Sept. 15, 2025).

Bloody Sunday: What happened on Sunday 30 January 1972?, BBC (Jan. 27, 2022), available at https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-foyle-west-47433319 (last visited Sept. 15, 2025).

Family of Bloody Sunday victim hails ‘momentous day’ as Soldier F trial begins, PA NEWS AGENCY (Sept. 15, 2025), available at https://www.impartialreporter.com/news/national/25466783.family-bloody-sunday-victim-hails-momentous-day-soldier-f-trial-begins/ (last visited Sept. 15, 2025).