A coroner's inquest has determined that British Army personnel utilized unreasonable force during the fatalities of five individuals in Belfast on July 9, 1972.

一份死因調查報告判定，英國軍方人員在1972年7月9日貝法斯特導致五人死亡的事件中，使用了不合理的武力。

The judicial findings, delivered by Mr. Justice Scoffield on April 30, 2024, establish that the application of force in all five fatalities was not reasonable and deviated from the 'yellow card' rules of engagement. The coroner categorized Father Noel Fitzpatrick, Patrick Butler, and Margaret Gargan as wholly innocent victims, while David McCafferty was regarded as an innocent victim. Regarding John Dougal, the court noted that although his prior conduct was characterized as suspicious, the act of shooting him in the back during retreat was deemed unjustified. Evidence indicated that four of the five decedents were shot by a single soldier, with two killed by the same projectile, while Margaret Gargan was shot in the face by a separate soldier. The court further noted the absence of prior warnings and acknowledged that sporadic gunfire had occurred earlier that evening, though it rejected the assertion that no rounds had been fired on that date.

由Scoffield法官於2024年4月30日發表的司法裁定指出，所有五宗死亡個案中的武力運用均不合理，且偏離了「黃卡」交戰規則。死因裁判官將Noel Fitzpatrick神父、Patrick Butler及Margaret Gargan列為完全無辜的受害者，而David McCafferty則被視為無辜受害者。關於John Dougal，法院指出雖然其先前行為被視為可疑，但在其撤退時將其擊中背部的行為被認定為不公正。證據顯示，五名死者中有四名被單一士兵射擊，其中兩人被同一枚子彈擊斃，而Margaret Gargan則被另一名士兵擊中面部。法院進一步指出缺乏事先警告，並承認該晚早些時候曾發生零星槍擊，但否認了當日未發射任何子彈的說法。

Following the verdict, a divergence in stakeholder positioning has emerged. The families of the deceased have characterized the subsequent lack of a formal government response as 'deliberate silence' and a continuation of historical injustice. They have demanded a public apology, citing the precedents established in the Ballymurphy and Bloody Sunday cases as the requisite standard for state accountability. Conversely, the Ministry of Defence stated it is considering the findings while maintaining a commitment to veteran support and reconciliation. Secretary of State Hilary Benn described legacy issues as 'complex' and 'unfinished business' pertaining to the Good Friday Agreement, offering condolences but deferring a formal position pending a review of the full report.

判決後，相關利益方的立場出現分歧。死者家屬將隨後缺乏正式政府回應的狀況描述為「刻意沉默」，以及歷史不公的延續。他們要求公開道歉，並引用Ballymurphy與「血腥星期日」案件所建立的先例，作為國家承擔責任的必要標準。相反，國防部表示正在考慮裁定結果，同時維持對退伍軍人支持與和解的承諾。國務卿Hilary Benn將這些遺留問題描述為與《星期五協定》相關的「複雜」且「未完成」的事務，在表達哀悼的同時，表示在全面審閱報告前將暫緩採取正式立場。

The British government has yet to issue a formal apology or acknowledgment following the coroner's finding of unreasonable force.

在死因裁判官判定使用了不合理武力後，英國政府尚未發出正式道歉或承認。