Victims of the Troubles

Sir, – When Michael McDowell comments that "in seeking reconciliation, victim-centred politics is of limited value", I very much doubt whether the relatives of those killed in Ballymurphy in 1971 would agree with him ("Full truth about Troubles killings may not emerge", Opinion & Analysis, May 12th).

Mr McDowell seems to forget that for 50 years those victims were effectively labelled as terrorists and, after many years of campaigning, the findings of Mrs Justice Keegan can hardly be described as “incomplete” or “unsatisfactory”.

In any democracy, people must have the right to clear their names, regardless of whether criminal prosecutions are possible, and surely that is the “only way forward”. – Yours, etc,

MARTIN McDONALD,

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Terenure,

Dublin 12.