Fourteen months after the PSNI announced they were launching a murder inquiry into the Bloody Sunday shootings, none of the soldiers who killed 13 civilians in Londonderry have been interviewed by PSNI.
The news emerged at a meeting between the Bloody Sunday families and the detectives leading the inquiry.
The police probe was pledged after the publication of the Saville Inquiry in 2010, which found that the civil rights demonstrators shot dead by British soldiers in Londonderry in 1972 were innocent victims.
At the time Lord Saville assured the victim’s relatives that their deaths would be investigated by police.
In July last year, PSNI Chief Constable Matt Baggott revealed a murder investigation would be carried out and was expected to last four years, with 30 skilled officers involved.
But UTV understands that it has only been in the last few weeks that resources have been made available for the investigation and 12 PSNI detectives assigned to the case.
Kate Nash’s brother William was killed and her father Alex was injured when paratroopers opened fire on innocent people in the city more than 40 years ago.
She told UTV: “I feel that all of this is stalling tactics, to be honest I believe that even the Bloody Sunday inquiry, the second inquiry, was stalling tactics because Lord Saville had powers which he could have used but he didn’t use.
“It tells me there is no intent here to prosecute soldiers.”
Peter Madden, of Madden & Finucane Solicitors, added: “These are murder suspects and in another other case which the evidence that was available to ground and arrest, the arrest would be made.
“That has hasn’t happened and with no real explanation, there is a suggestion that the civilian witnesses should be questioned first but in my view that would take such a long time.
“The soldiers are on the long finger and probably off the hook for now.”
