Victims groups slam UK plan for amnesty over Troubles crimes

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Relatives of people killed during Northern Ireland’s decades of violence have protested in London. They were urging the government to drop plans to grant immunity to perpetrators of crimes committed during “the Troubles.” The British government says its Legacy and Reconciliation bill reflects the “vanishingly small” likelihood of convicting people for decades-old crimes. If it becomes law, it will end most prosecutions for killings by both British soldiers and members of militant groups. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told lawmakers on Tuesday that change is needed because “the current system is broken.” But victims’ groups say it will allow killers to get away with murder.