Northern Ireland

Attorney General directs new inquest into death of Martha Campbell in 1972

Martha Campbell (13), from Ballymurphy Road in west Belfast, was shot and fatally injured in 1972
Martha Campbell (13), from Ballymurphy Road in west Belfast, was shot and fatally injured in 1972

The attorney general has directed that a new inquest be held into the death of Martha Campbell (13), who was shot dead in 1972.

A solicitor for her family said on Friday that Dame Brenda King had ordered a new inquest after new evidence was submitted to the court.

Her family, who have always maintained that she was shot by the British army, welcomed the news and said they "will continue our fight for what is right and seeing justice done in the courts".

A student at St Louise's College, she was walking with a friend in the Springhill Crescent area on May 14 1972 when she was fatally injured.

No one has ever claimed responsibility for her death.

In 2021, research charity Paper Trail said it had uncovered evidence it claims shows the British army was in the area of west Belfast at the time of Martha's death and that a unit was involved in firing 23 shots.

Files unearthed through Freedom of Information requests, after meeting a Public Interest test, featured notes written by British army personnel, just hours after the shooting.

Read more:

  • New evidence proves British army 'were active in area' where girl (13) was shot and killed in 1972
  • Last 'march for justice' marking anniversary of 1971 Ballymurphy shooting

The Campbell family's legal team said they also commissioned two expert reports in relation to this matter.

One report on lines of sight from various locations of interest and a ballistic report "both concluded that there was a line of sight from Moyard Flats to the location where Martha was shot", they said.

"New civilian witness statements taken by our staff also shed further light on the circumstances of Marta’s death."

Solicitor Padraig Ó Muirigh
Solicitor Padraig Ó Muirigh

Pádraig Ó Muirigh, solicitor for the Campbell family, said they "welcome the decision by the attorney general to direct a fresh inquest".

"In making this decision the attorney general took account of the new civilian witness statements, the expert reports commissioned by our office and documents obtained by Papertrail. She also considered our submissions on the inadequacies of the RUC investigation and the original Inquest in September 1972." he said.

"This is a bittersweet moment for the Campbell family given that the new inquest they have been granted will be effectively guillotined by the draconian NI Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.

"Our office has lodged judicial review proceedings at the High Court in Belfast challenging the lawfulness of the Act and we will be making applications to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of this matter also in the coming weeks."

Tony Campbell, brother of Martha, said the family are "both happy and sad at this news".

"We are happy that after all these years of fighting for the truth that we are finally granted a new inquest that could prove that Martha was murdered by the British Army and the circumstances of her death covered up," he said.

"We are also sad that the British government has decided that our long struggle doesn’t matter as the door for truth and justice has been slammed in our face with the introduction of the new legacy legislation.

"We will continue our fight for what is right and seeing justice done in the courts."