31/08/2007

Government Apologise To Shot Teen's Family

The family of a Londonderry teenager, shot dead by the Army 35 years ago, have received an apology from the Government.

A document, assessing the Army’s role in Northern Ireland, had described Daniel Hegarty as a terrorist but has now been withdrawn by the Ministry of Defence.

The document, which was released in June, had also incorrectly claimed that the 15-year-old was armed.

Daniel was shot dead by a soldier during Operation Motorman in the Creggan area of Derry in July 1972.

The Ministry of Defence has written to the family and apologised and has said that it accepts that Daniel was innocent and that reference to him as a terrorist was inaccurate.

The document has been withdrawn from the Ministry of Defence website and the Hegarty family have welcomed the apology.

(SB/SP)

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

21 August 2018
Over 500 Attend Farm First Aid Awareness Training
More than 500 farm family members and employees have attended First Aid Awareness training since March 2018, as part of the Farm Family Key Skills (FFKS) scheme. Up to 100 accidents which need medical attention occur each month on Northern Ireland farms.
14 November 2024
New Defence Heritage Record Launched
Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has welcomed the launch of a new Defence Heritage Record, a comprehensive resource detailing over 4,500 sites constructed across Northern Ireland in response to World War One and Two, as well as the Cold War.
07 July 2003
Muslim family endure attack on family home
A gang of around ten men has targeted the County Armagh home of a Muslim family in what is thought to have been a racially motivated attack. The attack occurred at around 2.30am on Saturday morning when the family were at home in their house in the Enniskeen area of Craigavon.
22 February 2024
Daniel Sebastian Allen Jailed For 29 Years For Murder Of Family Of Four
Daniel Sebastian Allen has been sentenced to life in prison for the deaths of three people in a deliberate house fire in Derrylin, Co Fermanagh, in 2018. The 33-year-old pleaded guilty to starting a fire at a house, which lead to the death of four people, including a baby girl.
21 February 2022
New Domestic Abuse Offences Come Into Force
A number of new domestic abuse offences have come into force in Northern Ireland, with Justice Minister Naomi Long stating that "domestic abuse in all its forms, both physical and non-physical, is wrong and will not be tolerated".