Canal death man’s family take action

THE family of Irish man Paul Nolan Miralles who were left to recover his dismembered remains from an Amsterdam canal after police called off a search for the missing man, have said they are taking action against the Dutch authorities.

Accusing Amsterdam police officers of “total incompetence” and treating them “disgracefully”, the 36-year-old Dublin man’s sister said yesterday “we are taking further action on this at a future time”.

The funeral Mass of Mr Nolan Miralles is being held in Huntstown, Co Dublin, tomorrow, almost a month since he went missing after a night out in the Dutch capital where he lived for the past 10 years.

The Nolan Miralles family, from Clonsilla, Co Dublin, were forced to endure “the nightmare and trauma” of recovering the remains of his body themselves over several days from a canal in Amsterdam last month.

It is believed that Paul, a photographer and waiter in the Hard Rock Cafe, fell in the water and then was caught in the propeller of a passing canal pleasure boat, and a number of sightings of his floating body were reported to police in the days before he was found.

A leading Dutch newspaper, Het Parool, reported that police had not saved vital street video film or followed up on other clues, including his missing bicycle and watch, which could have pointed to foul play.

A series of “unforgivable and grossly incompetent police blunders” occurred after her brother’s body was spotted, but boat traffic in the canal was still allowed to pass through, said his sister, Anne Ravanona.

“We are disgusted at how it has been handled, or rather has not been handled. We have experienced coldness, arrogance and downright disdain from the Dutch police,” said Ms Ravanova.

The family set up a foundation — [e-mail] — in memory of the dead man this week. They hope to raise funds through staging exhibitions of his photographs in Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid and Dublin, among other activities, to help other Irish families in similar situations whose loved ones go missing and die abroad.