THE TWIN SISTER of Mary Boyle, the young girl who disappeared in Donegal 39 years ago, has said she is making a complaint to GSOC over leaks to a tabloid newspaper about her case.
The six-year-old disappeared while visiting her grandparents in Ballyshannon, Co Donegal on 18 March 1977.
Her sister Ann Doherty has been working with Margo O’Donnell, sister of Daniel and a distant cousin of Mary Boyle, and journalist Gemma O’Doherty in a bid to bring those responsible to justice.
Yesterday a story emerged in The Star newspaper claiming that the case of Mary Boyle’s disappearance was being reopened. The Garda press office told TheJournal.ie that the case had never closed, but that a Serious Crime Review team will now re-examine the evidence.
A 64-year-old man was arrested in connection with the case in 2014, but was released without charge.
Cold case review
Today Ann Doherty’s solicitor released a statement that said she has not been contacted by An Garda Siochána about the cold case review.
Solicitor Darragh Mackin stated that,
It is deeply troubling, that a decision was taken to provide such a development in an exclusive to a national newspaper, before conveying same to our client.Our Client, Ms Doherty has still not been contacted by An Garda Siochana to confirm the contents of the article and therefore we are not in a position to confirm the accuracy of whether or not there is in fact a fresh probe into the disappearance of Mary Boyle, on foot of the recently published documentary.
The solicitor confirmed that a “formal complaint” had been lodged, seeking an investigation by the Garda Siochána Ombudsman Commission.
Journalist Gemma O’Doherty told TheJournal.ie today she was dismayed that those involved in the crime have yet to be arrested, given the evidence available.
In the Dáil today, Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin welcomed the involvement of the Garda’s serious crime review team, but asked the Taoiseach to ensure the investigation will be “fully independent of previous investigations”.
“It has been an issue of considerable public interest,” Martin told the Dáil.
Her family are obviously very devastated as a result of their loss.
He said that no member of the Oireachtas could interfere with an ongoing investigation, but added:
I would ask you, Taoiseach, to ensure, in the context of victims’ rights, that sufficient and dedicated resources will be made available and the investigation will be fully independent of previous investigations, if you get my drift, and separate to what went on before.
Deputy Martin also said there is legal precedent for a coroner’s inquest to be held.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he had also held meetings with some members of the family.
“And I’m glad the special [Garda] unit is going to look at this completely independently,” he added.
I’ll see to it that [they get] the resources that they need to do that job independently for the family who are still grieving for the loss of Mary Boyle.
O’Doherty’s documentary on the case, which has been viewed over 86,000 times since being uploaded last week, was temporarily removed from Youtube yesterday because of a threatened defamation case.
A message on it stated: “The content is not available in this country domain due to a defamation complaint.”
On Wednesday afternoon the documentary was still accessible in full on the site, and it has since been re-uploaded. The comments are no longer displaying.
The documentary includes allegations of political interference in the initial investigation into what is now Ireland’s longest-running missing person’s case.
A march in memory of Mary Boyle is due to take place in Ballyshannon on Saturday, organised by local woman Naomi Brady.
Yesterday the Garda Press Office confirmed the case is being re-examined by a Serious Crime Review team in An Garda Síochána.
“The disappearance of Mary Boyle is under active investigation as it has been since Mary disappeared and that investigation will continue,” they said, in a statement.
Any new information that is reported to An Garda Síochána, in relation to an ongoing investigation, will be investigated accordingly.
The statement said that there have been two reviews by An Garda Síochána into Mary’s disappearance, including one undertaken in 2011 that is still ongoing.
“The Serious Crime Review team has recently been tasked to review the case.
“The Serious Crime Review Team (SCRT) was established in August 2007 to review of unresolved homicides and other serious crimes within the State.
“The primary purpose of a review is to assist Senior Investigation Officers who are investigating a serious crime by identifying new and potential investigative opportunities.
“Members of the SCRT are trained in homicide investigation and in the reviewing of unresolved homicides.”
Led by Detective Superintendnat Walter O’Sullivan, the SCRT comes under the command of the assistant commissioner.
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