Bruton urges Blair to `lay to rest' Bloody Sunday

THE fate of the Bloody Sunday victims was compounded by a second injustice arising directly from the Widgery Report, the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, has told the British Prime Minister.

He was commenting, in a covering letter to Mr Blair, on the Government's assessment of the new material which emerged recently on Bloody Sunday and a detailed deconstruction of the Widgery Report based on it. The assessment was sent by the Taoiseach to Mr Blair yesterday for consideration within the framework of the Anglo-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference.

Mr Bruton said he wished that all those who continued to be affected by past acts of violence should have opportunities to obtain peace and justice. "I believe that establishing the truth about what happened on Bloody Sunday will represent a major step in this direction; will make an important contribution to the cause of peace and reconciliation; and will offer hope to all those who grieve as a result of the violence of the past three decades."

Welcoming the signs from the British government that it would look afresh at Bloody Sunday, Mr Bruton said Mr Blair's approach could help to remove a source of profound distress, not only to the relatives but to the nationalist community generally.

"There is now an opportunity to lay to rest this most troubling and disturbing episode of the terrible history of the past 27 years."

Forensic and tape-recorded evidence which emerged in January suggested that hidden British army marksmen, other than members of the Parachute Regiment on the ground, were responsible for several of the killings of civilians. An investigation on Channel 4 News claimed the Widgery Tribunal of Inquiry into the shootings suppressed, ignored or rejected crucial evidence on the culpability of the British army.