Grainne Teggart

Majella O’Hare was shot twice on 14 August 1976 in Whitecross, Co Armagh after walking past an army patrol on the way to church with a group of friends.

A soldier was charged with manslaughter in relation to the killing in 1977, but claimed he was responding to an IRA sniper attack and was acquitted by a judge sitting alone with no jury.

Although the Ministry of Defence (MoD) apologised for the shooting in 2011, no independent investigation has yet taken place.

Her brother, Michael O’Hare, has now called for an independent investigation with support from Amnesty International.

Grainne Teggart, Amnesty’s Northern Ireland campaign manager, said: “This tragic story should be a matter of national shame for the UK. It is utterly appalling that the family have been left without justice for nearly 44 years.

“Majella O’Hare was a young girl of 12 when she was cruelly robbed of her life when she was shot in the back by a soldier with a machine gun. The loss had a devastating impact on her family and the grossly inadequate investigation at the time only added to the trauma.

“Decades later, her brother Michael has been left fighting for the independent investigation to which they are entitled.

“The apology from the Ministry of Defence should have been swiftly followed by action and accountability. No one, including members of the Armed Forces, is above the law.”