Tánaiste Micheál Martin said last night (12 September) that Ireland’s legal system had failed in its duty to find and convict a bloody murderer.

The case against Ian Bailey for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in West Cork in 1996 should have gone before a jury, he said.

Main suspect

The fact that no one was convicted for the murder of the French film-maker would “always be a deep shame for us” and remained “seared into our consciousness”, he said.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs was speaking at the launch of the book Sophie: The Final Verdict by award-winning Irish Independent journalist Senan Molony at Hodges Figgis in Dawson Street, Dublin 2.

Ian Bailey, who was the main suspect in her murder, died in Cork in January this year aged 66.

In December 1996, the body of the 39-year-old was found beaten outside her holiday home near Schull, West Cork. 

Senan Molony (small picture) was the first national newspaper journalist to arrive at the crime scene in the following days.

Bailey, of The Prairie in Schull, was convicted of murder in his absence by a French court in May 2019.

The three-judge court imposed a 25-year sentence.

“The terrible anguish of her family and all who knew her was made much worse by the fact that our system proved incapable of meeting its responsibilities to Sophie,” the Tánaiste said last night.

“However, there is no doubt that this case continues to give a serious cause for reflection.”

Freedom of the press

The Tánaiste praised Senan Molony’s account of the murder, which covers the many twists and turns of the case.

He said that Molony’s relentless pursuit of the story illustrates the importance of the freedom of the press.

“I genuinely believe that you have done right for Sophie and her family, and you have done right for your country,” the Tánaiste said.

Blocked 

The legal system blocked alternative routes to justice when others were not willing to accept our failings, he said.

The cumulative case against the main suspect was overwhelming, in the Tánaiste’s assessment, with ‘broad and deep’ strands of evidence against him.

“The main suspect was a violent man had beaten his partner so badly that she had to attend hospital,” he said.

The psychological profile was that of a violent, impulsive narcissist and misogynist person who had no respect for others.

“He intimidated witnesses and may well have succeeded in this,” the Tánaiste said.

When the French state sought justice for its murdered citizen, the Irish courts were successfully used to block its efforts, he added.

Failures excused

“And for every failure, there was always an excuse. Often these excuses relied on high principles of law and justice.

“No one expects that any system of justice can operate without errors, or that the pursuit of justice can never lead to another injustice.

“There's always a balance between seeking justice for the victim and respecting the rights of the accused.

“It is a normal and reasonable thing to have a legal system which takes these rights seriously.

“However, when you look at the details of this case and the scale of the evidence, it is very, very hard to understand why this evidence was not put before the jury,” he said.

“It's hard to understand why the system was so convinced by its interpretation of legal principles that it effectively threw its hands in the air and gave up,” he said.

The Irish legal system failed Sophie Toscan du Plantier, he said.

“We can ask for a proper review on whether decisions were reasonable that blocked the murder trial, or that will have pre-determined its outcome,” he said.

Endlessly delayed

Ireland needs an honest conversation about why crimes that are processed quickly in other societies seem endlessly delayed here, he said.

The maternal uncle of Sophie, astro-physicist Jean Pierre Gazeau, also spoke at last night’s launch and asked the Tánaiste to institute a public inquiry, pointing to the announcement this week of a probe into the death of murdered solicitor Pat Finucane.

'Fair old attack'

Bailey’s solicitor, however, described the Tánaiste’s comments as “extraordinary”.

Frank Buttimer told the radio station 96FM that the Tánaiste was likely basing his opinion on the content of a book, some of which "would not be evidential".

“It's a fair old attack on many of the pillars of justice of the State. Where it comes from, I have absolutely no idea," Buttimer said.

• Sophie: The Final Verdict by Senan Molony is available in bookshops or to buy online