Majella O'Hare (c. 1964 – 14 August 1976) was a 12-year-old schoolgirl who was shot in the back by a British paratrooper while walking to church in Whitecross, in August 1976.

Death

On 14 August, 1976, Majella, along with some friends, was going to St. Malachy's church in Whitecross. As the group passed a security checkpoint, British paratrooper Pvt. Michael Williams shot Majella twice in the back with a general-purpose machine gun, from around 20 to 30 yards away.^[1][2]

Majella's father Jim and her brother Michael O'Hare were allegedly harassed by responding paratroopers while the two were attempting to give aide to Majella.^[3]

Majella would be airlifted to Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry, where she was pronounced dead on arrival.^[1][4]

Trial

Williams was initially charged with murder by the RUC, but this was later reduced to the lesser charge of manslaughter. In 1977, during his trial, Pvt. Williams claimed in his defence that a IRA sniper had shot at him, and that Majella had been caught in the cross fire, although there was no evidence to corroborate this claim. Nevertheless, he was acquitted of manslaughter by the judge, Maurice Gibson, sitting alone without a jury in a Diplock court.^[1][3]

In 2011 the British government would apologize for the killing, and for the acquittal of Williams.^[2]

References