In 1982, Emmett McConomy’s brother, 11-year-old Stephen, was playing in the street near their home in Derry.
A shot fired by a British soldier from an armoured car hit him in the back of the head; he died from his injuries days later.
Emmett tells In the News about his family’s decades-long fight for the truth about what happened to the child and how the UK government’s Northern Ireland legacy Bill is a betrayal of justice.
The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is set to be passed into law this week and it will put an end to inquests and court cases – and includes a form of limited immunity for some perpetrators of crimes committed during the conflict.
The Bill has been universally opposed by both sides of the political divide in the North and by the Irish Government and internationally in the United States, the UN and Europe. In the UK, the Labour Party opposes it. It is supported by the Conservative Party and the British military.
Freya McClements, Northern Editor of The Irish Times, explains what it means – and what might happen next. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.
