FIRST Minister Michelle O'Neill has praised the Springhill/Westrock families after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's apology to the relatives of those who died in the House of Commons this afternoon.
The Sinn Féin vice-president said the apology is an acknowledgement "of the suffering endured by the families over many decades".
Margaret Gargan (13), John Dougal (16), David McCafferty (14), father-of-six Patrick Butler (38), and Fr Noel Fitzpatrick (42) were shot dead by British soldiers within minutes of each other on the evening of July 9 1972.
In April an inquest found that soldiers did not use reasonable force in the killings and had "lost control".
"The Springhill families now join the families of Bloody Sunday and Ballymurphy, whose determined campaigns secured official findings and public acknowledgement of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of their loved ones," said Ms O'Neill.
"These moments matter not only because they recognise individual loss, but because they affirm and expose the actions of the British army against the Springhill community.
"While today marks an important and significant moment for the Springhill Families, there remain many families who continue to wait for truth, accountability and acknowledgement where their loved ones were killed as in a manner similar to Bloody Sunday, Ballymurphy and Springhill.
"Every family has the right to know what happened. Every family deserves equal access to truth, justice and accountability.
Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey paid tribute to the families who campaigned for the truth for over half a century.
"For more than 50 years, these families have shown remarkable strength, perseverance and dignity in their pursuit of truth. Their tireless efforts have ensured that the reality of what happened in Springhill and Westrock on 9 July 1972 has been exposed and formally recognised.
"The apology issued today by the British Government is a significant acknowledgment of the grave injustice inflicted and represents an important moment in the families' long struggle for justice.
"It is only because of their steadfast refusal to accept falsehoods and their determination to challenge the British government's narrative that we have reached this point."
SDLP Leader Claire Hanna MP welcomed the Prime Minister's apology adding that all five people killed in the Springhill/Westrock area were innocent.
"It should never have taken more than 50 years for these families to receive this acknowledgement," she said. "I pay tribute to them for their strength and determination on this difficult journey. The failure of successive governments to provide effective, ECHR-compliant legacy mechanisms has denied families the truth and accountability they deserve for far too long."
SDLP West Belfast representative Gerard McDonald said: "The deaths of these innocent civilians stand as another stark example of British soldiers acting with impunity during the conflict.
"The British Government must now review its position in light of the Dillon judgment and address the clear deficiencies held by victims and survivors. There remains an urgent need for a legacy mechanism capable of delivering independence, full disclosure and effective investigations."
