GARDA COMMISSIONER DREW Harris has said that he stands by the decision made by Gardaí to arrest a man in his sixties, and a woman in her fifties in relation to the Kerry Babies murder inquiry. 

Both the man and woman were released without charge over the weekend, after being arrested on the Thursday. The woman was released on Friday night, and the man was released in the early hours of Saturday morning. 

The arrests were made as part of the investigation into the discovery of the body of a newborn baby at White Strand, Caherciveen, in 1984. The baby, who has not been identified, was given the name ‘Baby John’ by authorities. 

Speaking at Dublin Castle this morning, Harris said that the Gardaí launched a “very serious case review in 2018.” 

“That was appropriate, given a concern which was raised in respect of the original investigation. That has carried on. We’ve taken numerous statements and then also pursued a forensic strategy as well. 

“Ultimately, that led to the action of last week where there were two arrests. 

“I was fully briefed and informed in respect of that operation and I stand by the actions that An Garda Siochána took in respect of the arrest and interview of those individuals,” he added. 

Harris stated that the investigation into this case is still being conducted, and that the Gardaí are calling on anyone with relevant information to come forward. 

“There may still be some people in the Kerry area who have information, or indeed further afield, which would be essential to our investigation and I would appeal to them to come forward. 

“If they have information, no matter how small then this is their opportunity to bring that forward so we can conduct a thorough investigation and hopefully bring justice to Baby John even after all this time,” Harris said. 

Gardaí released a statement on Saturday, after the release of the man who was released without charge. 

“The investigation into the death of Baby John is continuing. A file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“An Garda Síochána has no further comment at this time,” it read. 

Recent investigation 

In January 2018, gardaí announced a review into the death of Baby John, and since then, extensive investigation has been ongoing into the incident by Gardaí in the Kerry Division supported by the Garda Serious Crime Review Team.

 The Serious Crime Review Team is part of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The investigation into the murder of Baby John is being led by the NBCI, working with local gardaí.

Hundreds of people have been interviewed and over 560 lines of enquiry have been initiated since 2018.

Part of the early stages of the investigation was focused on determining, using computer mapping, how Baby John’s body could have ended up on White Strand.

This led gardaí to do a broad DNA trawl of the wider Cahirsiveen, Valentia area. 

At that time, gardaí took DNA samples from locals in the region in the hope of potentially tracing the baby’s parents. This was done on a voluntary basis; people could decline to take part.

One of the key pillars of the murder investigation centres around those DNA samples.

A large number of samples were processed and once that work was complete, the investigation team then sought an exhumation order under the Coroner’s Act.

The remains of Baby John were then exhumed in Kerry on 14 September 2021, in what gardaí hoped could provide the final piece in the puzzle as they bid to solve the mystery of his death.

The baby’s remains were then re-interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Cahersiveen the same afternoon.

-Additional reporting from David MacRedmond.