The families of two people shot in Derry in 1971 have criticised the “unbelievable” decision not to prosecute two soldiers over the deaths.
It comes as the north’s Attorney General ordered a fresh inquest into the deaths of one of the two people, 14-year-old Annette McGavigan.
The teenager was shot dead during unrest in Derry’s Bogside area on September 6, 1971.
Nine days later, 41-year-old William McGreanery was shot after a soldier opened fire from an army sanger near Lonemoore Road.
Files on both killings had been sent to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) by the PSNI, with a soldier known as Soldier B reported in connection with the death of Annette McGavigan, and a Soldier A reported over the death of Mr McGreanery.
On Monday, the PPS confirmed it would not prosecute either individual.
Assistant director Martin Hardy said the PPS had “carefully considered” the evidence in both cases.
He said both cases “featured significant evidential difficulties arising from the circumstances in which accounts were taken and recorded, both by the Royal Military Police in 1971, and later by the PSNI’s Historical Enquiries Team”.
“In addition, the death of significant witnesses and a failure to conduct effective investigations at the time has undoubtedly hampered more recent investigative efforts and the prosecutorial prospects in these cases,” he said.
The PPS was satisfied that available evidence was capable of proving Mr McGreanery was unarmed and presented no threat to any soldier, but said admissible evidence was insufficient to prove that the reported suspect was the soldier known as Soldier A who was responsible for causing Mr McGreanery’s death.
Prosecutors could also not prove that the reported suspect fired the shots that killed Annette McGavigan.
“We recognise that these decisions not to prosecute will be deeply disappointing to the victims’ families who lost their loved one in very painful circumstances and are understandably still seeking clarity on what happened,” Mr Hardy said.
“We have today written to them to explain the detailed reasons for the decisions and have offered meetings to give any further explanation they may require about the basis of these decisions.”
Annette’s brother Martin said the PPS decision was “unbelievable”, and described receiving the news days before the UK’s legacy legislation takes effect as “very cruel”.
Mr McGreanery’s nephew Billy said the decision “beggars belief”.
“It is a justice system but in our case it is unjust,” he said.
Meanwhile, a solicitor for the family of Annette McGavigan said they welcomed the granting of a fresh inquest into her death.
“They have campaigned relentlessly for over 20 years to achieve some independent judicial court based scrutiny of the circumstances of their sister’s killing,” solicitor Patricia Coyle said.
“While this decision comes immediately before the Legacy Act deadline they will not be deterred in campaigning to action the AG direction. Legal challenges persist regarding the Legacy Act including an application to the European Court of Human Rights by the family.”