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A DELEGATION OF families is set to travel to the European Parliament in Brussels to express concerns about An Garda Siochana.
The Families for Justice group is made up of families who are all said to have “lost loved ones in violent circumstances”.
Their assertion is that An Garda Siochana did not investigate the deaths properly and that this meant that the families’ “fundamental right to justice has been breached”.
What do they hope to achieve?
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, Lucia O’Farrell, part of the Families for Justice group said that the trip was intended to apply pressure domestically.
O’Farrell said that the families had “exhausted their avenues” within Ireland and have plans in the future to take their case to the United Nations.
“Families shouldn’t have to leave the country. Families shouldn’t have to go to Brussels… what’s going on is unbelievable. I never thought it would be like this,” she said.
Who is going to Brussels?
Lucia and Jim O’Farrell will be going to Europe over an incident in 2011 when their child was killed in hit and run in Co Monaghan. It was an incident where the driver of the car should not have been on the roads.
Other members of the group who are travelling include Anne Doherty, twin sister of Mary Boyle is believed to have been killed in Donegal in 1977 at the age of 6; Cyril Goonan, whose brother Jim was found dead in suspicious circumstances in Birr, Co Offaly in 2002; and the parents of four-year-old Clodagh Cullen, who was killed in what is described as “a mysterious car crash” in Kilkenny in 2007.
The families are accompanied on their journey by journalist Gemma O’Doherty and Garda whistleblower John Wilson. They will also be accompanied by Catherine Costelloe, a former officer with the London Metropolitan Police.
The trip has been facilitated by Sinn Féin MEPs.
The group travelled to Stormont last November and met with a delegation of Northern Irish MLAs, including Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness and leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, Mike Nesbitt.
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People feel aggrieved when a case is investigated but for some reason there is no prosecution. That Wilson is a real pain the ar$€..no credibility and facilitated by Sinn Fein..some combination
lol
Many more feel aggrieved when a made up case is investigated too. And it now seems the courts are going to be willing to hear sloppy evidence too.
We had an opportunity for Garda reform, but will only see cover-up.
What evidence do they have that they were not investigated?
There’s a difference between no investigation and (as they said) “not investigating properly”
You know what I mean, what do they know that the guards don’t?
They must have some evidence to claim it was properly investigated
Not
Ming Flanagan has already outlined some of the cases to the Dail.
The trip has been facilitated by Sinn Féin MEPs… god if it wasn’t so serious it would be funny. SF who put the murder of a mother of 10 down to ‘that’s what happens in wars’ and SF who failed to report child sex abuse to proper authorities.. this SF now want to complain about alleged incomplete investigations.. what a morally bankrupt and hypocritical party.
RonanM, are you suggesting that an garda water siochana, would always thoroughly investigate every case and would never shirk their responsibilities? Because if you are you are very naive.
Very well said . It is a bit hypritical of SF to be getting involved. As for Mr Wilson, well, the less said the better.
Good on sinn fein for helping these people ,the only party that the ctizens can rely on ,
Are you smoking crack? The only party that cares about people? Jesus, you’re mad. They didn’t care about the people they were busy disappearing – oh I forgot they didn’t know anything about what the IRA were doing. Jarry wasn’t actually in charge of murdering people at all.
I wonder if Ian Bailey will be joining them?
Oh wait…
The Shinners leading the way with this one no doubt. They should be good at getting to the bottom of mysterious deaths. That ape Wilson involving himself in whatever controversy he can shake a stick at. Taking advantage of poor shattered people who’ve lost their children/loved ones and looking for answers.
Fair play to them
Good one Jane
You re back telling those jokes again jane. You should join the circus. Oh wait!!!
Well done Sinn Fein.
O’Doherty, Wilson and Costello ?? What family members have they lost ?
Check out @familiesforjust. It’s all about Gemma O’Doherty not much else.
Families for Justice tweeted that I had defiled the memory of my uncle Fr Niall Molloy.
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