To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons lost their lives in conflict-related incidents in each year since 1973 and were the subject of a murder investigation conducted by the police; how many murders in each year were eventually the subject of a successful prosecution; and how many unsolved murders remain from each year. [118960]
The information cannot be provided in the format requested. Table A provides the number of murders for each year since 1973 and the number of these murders where persons have subsequently been charged. Table B provides the number of convictions for murders in each year since 1993. We are unable to provide data prior to 1993 as to do so would require a substantial manual exercise and would incur a disproportionate cost.
| Table A: Security situation statistics for Northern Ireland, 1973–9 June 2003 | ||
| Number of persons murdered | Murders for which persons have been charged | |
| 1973 | 200 | 65 |
| 1974 | 187 | 76 |
| 1975 | 221 | 101 |
| 1976 | 266 | 107 |
| 1977 | 100 | 47 |
| 1978 | 70 | 30 |
| 1979 | 108 | 38 |
| 1980 | 65 | 25 |
| 1981 | 83 | 35 |
| 1982 | 85 | 39 |
| 1983 | 67 | 29 |
| 1984 | 49 | 10 |
| 1985 | 48 | 20 |
| 1986 | 55 | 7 |
| 1987 | 82 | 20 |
| 1988 | 84 | 30 |
| 1989 | 57 | 20 |
| 1990 | 68 | 19 |
| 1991 | 88 | 27 |
| 1992 | 79 | 23 |
| 1993 | 82 | 35 |
| 1994 | 61 | 18 |
| 1995 | 9 | 2 |
| 1996 | 14 | 5 |
| 1997 | 20 | 9 |
| 1998 | 54 | 11 |
| 1999 | 7 | 2 |
| 2000 | 18 | 3 |
| 2001 | 16 | 4 |
| 2002 | 12 | 1 |
| 20031 | 7 | 1 |
| Total | 2,362 | 859 |
| 1 To 9 June | ||
Note:
Statistics for 2002 and 2003 are provisional and may be subject to minor adjustment.
Table B: Victims of murders linked to the security situation: 1
| ||
Number of victims where person (s) have been convicted of murder
| Person(s) have been convicted of lesser offence 2
| |
| 1993 | 24 | 2 |
| 1994 | 7 | 6 |
| 1995 | 1 | 0 |
| 19963 | 0 | 2 |
| 1997 | 4 | 0 |
| 1998 | 6 | 1 |
| 1999 | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 | 1 | 3 |
| 20014 | 0 | 1 |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 43 | 16 |
1 Figures relate to cases where police have initially charged at least one suspect with murder. All cases have been heard in Belfast crown court in a Diplock trial. | ||
2 For example, manslaughter, conspiracy to murder, aiding and abetting murder etc. | ||
3 Suspect(s) have been committed for trial with respect to a further two victims—case pending. | ||
4 Suspect(s) have been committed for trial with respect to a further victim—case pending | ||