Foundation to keep Manuela’s memory alive
Hans-Peter and Arlette Riedo also made it clear from the start that the event was all about the foundation, not what happened to their beautiful 17-year-old daughter.
The Manuela Riedo Foundation aims to raise awareness among teenagers of the dangers of rape and sexual assault, while also giving support for the victims and their families.
Manuela, an only child, was murdered in October 2007, only three days after arriving in Galway for a language course.
Two months ago Gerald Barry, aged 29, of Roscan Glas, Rahoon, Galway, was given the mandatory life sentence for her murder.
“Our priority is that what happened to Manuela will never happen again,” said Hans-Peter, speaking through an interpreter.
He said they were happy to be in Ireland again where they had many friends because there was no pressure on them any more. “Now we are getting to know the good side of Ireland,” he said.
Arlette said Manuela could not help people any more and they had the time to work on her behalf. It also gave them a new sense of purpose for the future. “As Manuela can’t help anymore we are here now to do good things,” she said.
Basel-based Irish publican Brendan McGuinness, who helped Manuela’s parents set up the foundation, said they had total control over it.
He said the foundation would help in educating young people in schools right across Europe about how they should protect themselves as well as supporting rape crisis centres.
The foundation also intends creating a pan-European hotline where victims of rape, too afraid to go to the police, can speak to doctors and lawyers in confidence.
“The main reason for setting up the foundation is so the parents can have something to look forward to in the future in their daughter’s name,” he said.
Chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop said she really admired the way Hans-Peter and Arlett could transform their grief and channel it into something extremely positive in memory of their daughter.
“I have no doubt the foundation will help people for a long time to come,” she said. “We really need a huge cultural change in this country to prevent this heinous crime. It is a silent crime and it is a crime that, unfortunately, is very, very prevalent,” she said.
“Manuela’s parents have been so generous in coming back to Ireland and wanting to help us and I think it behoves of us, as a nation, to contribute to such a foundation and keep Manuela’s name alive in a very positive way and very generous way,” Ms O’Malley-Dunlop said.
Mr McGuinness said he wanted to help Manuela’s parents to set up the foundation because of the anger and disgust he felt when Manuela was murdered. “I could have made a private donation to the parents, but I thought that would be an insult,” he said.
“I have not lived here [Ireland] for many decades, but I am Irish and what happened here should not have happened. They only had one child, they lost everything. This [the foundation] will not replace Manuela, but it gives them a sense and purpose in their lives.”
He also wanted to do something small and that was to have been a concert in the square in Basel but that mushroomed to a point where they decided to use the Stadium in Berne for the event.
A number of Irish musicians, including The Dubliners, the Kilfenora Céilí Band, Fair Isle Folk, the Wolfe Tones and Sharon Shannon, have agreed to perform at a concert in the Swiss capital on July 25 to raise money for the foundation.
* The Manuela Riedo Foundation’s web address is www.manuela-riedo-foundation.ch and the Dublin Rape Crisis centre contact number is 18000-77888.
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