Member's statement: Reavey Brothers Murders: Settlement
Member's statement by Mr Justin McNulty on .
- MLA
- Mr Justin McNulty
- Party at the time
- Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Date
- 22 June 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Reavey Brothers Murders: Settlement
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5637693
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I am honoured to speak to welcome the settlement reached in the case relating to the murders of the Reavey brothers in south Armagh in 1976. The settlement comes more than 50 years after the appalling and shocking murders of John Martin, Brian and Anthony in their home in Whitecross. Eugene Reavey not only had to cope with the loss of his brothers in the most horrendous circumstances imaginable but was subjected to repeated harassment and abuse when his brothers' memories were tarnished by false claims that they were paramilitaries.
I attended the High Court alongside the Reavey family, and I admire its dignity and determination during its long and arduous pursuit of justice. Sadie Reavey, Eugene's mother, lit a candle every night and prayed for the men who murdered her sons. Talk about strength, forbearance and generosity. The strength and bravery shown by Eugene Reavey over the past five decades has been extraordinary. He knew that his brothers were innocent, and, with a relentless determination, he never stopped fighting for truth and justice to clear their names. Eugene said that while he was being cross-examined by the defence barristers last week, he had not felt so pumped up since the 1969 county final when Whitecross defeated Ballymacnab 0-4 to 0-2. It was humbling to stand with Eugene and his family in court when the settlement was reached, and to see them finally receive that long-overdue acknowledgement. It was a proud day for the Reavey family, a proud day for Whitecross and a proud day for south Armagh. I welcome the fulsome apology offered by Chief Constable Jon Boutcher and the acceptance of the failures of the RUC. No settlement can undo the pain suffered by the Reavey family, especially as the gun used in that case was used in 11 murders that could have been prevented had proper procedures been followed. The acknowledgement of the truth remains an important moment for the Reavey family. It is the largest legal settlement for any legacy case. It should never have taken so long to reach this point, but as Eugene said to me as we walked out of court last Thursday, "I can feel a weight starting to lift". Well done, Eugene; well done, Roisin; and well done to the entire Reavey family. I know that it has been a massive team effort by you all. We are all so delighted for you. Good luck for what is next.
408 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.09 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.95).
- Subject area: Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.08 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.03 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.03 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.08 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.11 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.09 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.95 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.05 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.99 |
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.01 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 16:05 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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