Lack of justice 'a profound disgrace', says Micheál Martin

“The failure to deliver justice” to Sophie Toscan du Plantier should “always be a matter of deep shame to us”, Tánaiste Micheál Martin said.

The Tánaiste was critical of the Irish justice system in this and other cases at the launch of a new book about the murder of French woman Sophie Toscan du Plantier by journalist Senan Molony.

Molony arrived in West Cork on St Stephen’s Day in 1996, just days after Toscan du Plantier was found brutally murdered outside her holiday home.

Speaking at the launch of Sophie: The Final Verdict at Hodges Figgis on Thursday night, Martin said the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier was “deeply shocking” and “remains etched in our conscience”.

“The failure to deliver justice and hold her murderer to account is, and should always be, a profound shame to us. The terrible anguish of her family and all who knew her has been compounded by the failure of our system to live up to its responsibilities to Sophie,” he said.

“The book traces the many twists and turns that surrounded the handling of this case, so there is no reason for me to repeat them. However, there is no doubt that this case continues to give us food for thought,” Mr Martin said.

“No one expects a justice system to operate without errors – or that the pursuit of justice can never lead to further injustice… However, when you look at the details of this case and the magnitude of the evidence, it is very, very difficult to understand why this evidence was not presented to a jury,” he added.

“An ‘honest conversation’ is needed about why crimes that can be dealt with much more quickly in other democratic societies seem ‘endlessly delayed here,'” Mr Martin said.

“Look at the speed with which rioters are convicted in other countries and compare it to our response to riots here… Yes, we have resource problems, but most democratic countries have resource problems. We could dramatically increase resources at all levels and we would still be applying principles and practices that often unduly delay justice,” he said.