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🇧🇪 Belgium /Crime & Justice

Three men acquitted of murder of Northern Irish journalist Lyra McKee

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Three men have been acquitted of the murder of Lyra McKee, a 29-year-old journalist killed in Northern Ireland in 2019.
  • The accused were charged in connection with the shooting, which occurred during violent confrontations in Derry.
  • McKee's family expressed shock and disappointment, with her sister calling the verdict a failure of the system and urging an end to the "culture of silence" in Northern Ireland.

Three men have been acquitted of the murder of Lyra McKee, a 29-year-old journalist who was killed by a stray bullet during violent confrontations in Northern Ireland in 2019. Paul McIntyre, Peter Cavanagh, and Jordan Gareth Devine were found not guilty by the Belfast Crown Court.

Everything will be done to obtain justice.

— Lyra McKee's familyReacting to the acquittal of the three men accused of her murder.

The trial, which began in May 2024, had been ongoing for two years with interruptions. The case was exceptionally large and complex, involving multiple defendants and accusations related to terrorism. The New IRA, a militant group, admitted that one of its members fired the fatal shot, which was reportedly intended for police officers.

The system has failed.

— Nichola CornerLyra McKee's sister, expressing her reaction to the verdict.

Mckee was standing near a police vehicle in the Creggan area of Derry when she was shot on April 18, 2019. Her death occurred amidst unrest in Derry, which was linked to the ongoing Brexit process and evoked memories of the decades-long conflict known as The Troubles. The victim's family reacted with shock to the verdict. Nichola Corner, McKee's sister, stated that "every effort will be made" to achieve justice and declared that the "system has failed." She also called for an end to the "culture of silence" that she believes prevents people from coming forward with information about the murder.

We call for an end to the culture of silence in Northern Ireland.

— Nichola CornerLyra McKee's sister, urging people to share information about the murder.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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