THE brother of Martha Campbell is stepping up his fight for a fresh inquest to be held into the circumstances surrounding the 13-year-old's death.
West Belfast schoolgirl Martha Campbell was shot and killed while walking along Springhill Crescent with a friend on 14 May 1972. No organisation has ever admitted to killing the young schoolgirl and her murder remains one of a small number of child killings which lies unclaimed to this day.
The family of Martha Campbell and local witnesses have long believed that the British Army shot Martha, having directed fire at her from a position from the flats at Moyard Park, which overlooked the area.
New evidence uncovered in a report prepared by Ciarán McAirt of Paper Trail has shown that the British Army’s First King’s Regiment had fired into area where Martha was shot. The legacy research charity uncovered files written just hours after the killing, showing that the British Army lied in stating that it was not present in the area at the time.
An application calling for a fresh inquest has been requested to the Attorney General and the family of Martha Campbell and Ó’Muirigh Solicitors are awaiting a decision.
“We believe there is enough evidence to justify a new inquest” Martha’s brother, Tony Campbell told the Andersonstown News.
“The first inquest took place very shortly after Martha was shot in 1972. There was no relevant police inquiry that took place by the RUC. They didn’t speak to additional eye witnesses or try to source them. They didn’t do any ballistics or forensics, any engineering or speak to the military police.
Martha Campbell was 13 when she was shot dead
“We know all this because the HET did all their investigation more than 10 years ago and they couldn’t get any more out of it. It was left like that for many years until new evidence was gathered by Ciarán MacAirt two years ago. He was able to get the army logs that proved that not only were they shooting from Moyard Flats where they indicated to the HET that they weren’t even there, but they were actually shooting at the time when Martha was shot.
“Therefore, new evidence includes what Ciarán MacAirt has gotten from the Army logs, attentional eyewitnesses, and expert witness reports. It has been horrendous after 50 years just trying to get the truth and about the cover-up that has taken place.”
Representing the family, Padraig Ó Muirigh of Ó Muirigh Solicitors, said: “The original inquest proceedings and the RUC investigation were wholly inadequate and represent a clear insufficiency of inquiry and shed no light on the circumstances of Martha’s death.
“The HET, in a report relating to the review of Martha’s killing, found that from the papers it had been provided with by the British Army, there was no evidence to place soldiers in Moyard. The HET concluded that Martha was killed in a crossfire and the source of the fatal shot could not be established due to lack of evidence
“However, new plausible and credible facts and evidence have now emerged which compel to the conclusion that further investigation is necessary.
“Expert evidence commissioned by our office has established that the British Army were actively engaged in shooting into the area in which Martha was killed at the time she was shot dead.
“In all the circumstances therefore we have requested that the Attorney General exercise her discretion by ordering a new inquest into Martha’s death.”
