Bloody Sunday Inquiry (Saville Inquiry): findings and what happened next
The shooting of civilians by British soldiers in Derry on 30 January 1972, in which 13 people were killed and another man later died of his injuries.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Type
- public inquiry
- Chaired by
- Lord Saville
- Report published
- 15 June 2010
Implementation, as of 23 October 2025The government apologised in 2010, and the prosecution of the soldier known as Soldier F ended in acquittal in October 2025.
What the inquiry found
- The inquiry found that "None of the casualties shot by soldiers of Support Company was armed with a firearm."2,1
- The inquiry found that no warning was given before soldiers opened fire, and that many soldiers knowingly gave false accounts to justify their firing.2
- The inquiry found no evidence that the events were premeditated and no government cover-up.2
- The inquiry found that Support Company entered the Bogside after an order which should not have been given.2
What happened next
- Prime Minister David Cameron told the House of Commons the events were "both unjustified and unjustifiable" and apologised on behalf of the government.2
- A former paratrooper known as Soldier F was acquitted at Belfast Crown Court of two counts of murder and five of attempted murder. The judge said delay had seriously hampered testing of the evidence.3
Read the report: www.gov.uk/government/publications/report-of-the-bloody-sunday-inquiry
Sources
- UK Government (GOV.UK), Report of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry (15 June 2010)
- UK Government (GOV.UK), PM statement on Saville Inquiry (15 June 2010)
- Al Jazeera, Court finds former British soldier not guilty in Bloody Sunday murder trial (23 October 2025)