Ballymurphy 'Massacre' Relatives 'Unhappy'

Relatives of those killed by the Army in west Belfast in 1971 are less than happy with their high profile meeting with NIO Secretary of State Owen Paterson on Thursday.

Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams, who was with the families, said that the Ballymurphy 'Massacre' relatives who met Owen Paterson cautiously welcomed the move.

"The fact that Owen Paterson agreed to come back to the Ballymurphy families after the New Year is welcome," the MP (pictured) said, but noted: "the meeting was very unsatisfactory.

"His attitude to the families was not appropriate. Mr Paterson did not show any sense of affinity with what these families have been through," he fumed.

"The case the family make is compelling. The British Secretary of State has an opportunity to define his role in a positive way. He has an opportunity to liberate these families and many others by making the right decision," he said.

"The families are determined to pursue their campaign for truth and an acknowledgement of the innocence of their loved ones who were killed two days after the introduction of internment in 1971."

In all 11 people - including a mother of eight children and a local Catholic priest - were killed by the Parachute Regiment.

He said that the families have always disputed Army and RUC claims about the circumstances and "they have campaigned for almost four decades for the truth".

Before the meeting he said they wanted an independent international investigation into the deaths of their loved ones and an apology, which recognises their innocence - and appears not to have been on the table at the meeting.

(BMcC/KMcA)