THE family of a man murdered during the Ballymurphy massacre have urged people to attend this weekend’s Time for Truth March.
John Laverty (20) was shot dead by the Parachute Regiment on the Mountain Loney on August 11, 1971.
This week, an inquest into the Ballymurphy Massacre, which resulted in the deaths of 11 people, revealed that Mr Laverty was likely to have been shot from behind, and to have been bent over, crouching or kneeling.
Mr Laverty’s family will join thousands of other victims and campaigners at the Time for Truth this March this weekend in Belfast city centre.
Time for Truth campaigners are calling for the implementation of legacy mechanisms included in the Stormont House Agreement as well as proper resources for the Lord Chief Justice and Police Ombudsman’s Office for the investigation of legacy cases.
Speaking ahead of the march, Mr Laverty’s sister, Carmel Quinn, said: “I feel very, very hurt other people who are coming behind us who have not even had a date for an inquest, have had no investigation into their loves one’s murders.
“The political situation that we are in at the minute across the water is making the situation worse. If we get Boris Johnson in as Prime Minister, God knows what’s going to happen because that man wants to bring in an amnesty. He will probably call a halt to legacy inquests, so we need to get people out on the streets at the weekend.”
She continued: “The inquest won’t answer all of our questions, but at least we’re having it addressed. We had General Mike Jackson in the box who, when my brother and Mr Corr were being thrown into the back of an army vehicle, he stood round the corner saying they had engaged in two-three hour gun battle and had shot dead two gunmen. That has now been exposed – they were unarmed.
“We’re 20 years down the line with our campaign. An inquest is something that every person is entitled to. The right to life is something that people should have in any country.”
Mr Laverty’s niece, Mary-Kate Quinn, added: “The Stormont House Agreement was something that people were happy with, but all of the mechanisms are shelved. Sunday is about making sure there is a process for everybody to be involved in and asking for it to be implemented.
“The Stormont House Agreement provides people with mechanisms that acknowledge their loved ones. There are people sitting who don’t even know that they have had loved ones murdered – they have no voice.
We’re very lucky – if you could say that – that we have a process and we’re miles ahead of everybody else because of the inquest.”
She continued: “The Ballymurphy campaign and the inquest has given people hope. As a family we would like to think that it gives people hope. When the Bloody Sunday families got the outcome of their investigation it was victory for them, but it was a victory for all of us. I think this march is about hope and about demanding the rights that we’re entitled to.”
The Time for Truth March will assemble at 12pm, Sunday 9th June at three points, walking to join at Belfast City Hall. North Belfast residents are asked to gather at the McGurk's Bar Memorial, North Queen Street. In West Belfast people can assemble Divis Tower, while people in South Belfast are asked to gather at Cro
