Preventing Bailey’s extradition is an insult to Sophie’s memory, say parents

The parents of murdered Sophie Toscan du Plantier have described the Supreme Court decision preventing Ian Bailey’s extradition to France as an insult to their daughter’s memory.

Marguerite Bouniol and her husband Georges, who are in their late 80s, vowed to never give up their crusade to bring their daughter’s killer to justice.

They were speaking as they arrived at Cork Airport yesterday ahead of a memorial Mass for Sophie in Goleen, West Cork, on Sunday.

“As Sophie’s parents we will never do enough for ourselves and for Sophie,” said Ms Bouniol.

“We are doubting about the judiciary system in Ireland. We do not see an end to it. Our daughter was murdered and it’s as if nothing has happened since.”

The body of the French film producer was found close to her holiday home in Toormore, near Schull, on Dec 23, 1996.

Last year, Ian Bailey, who was arrested twice for questioning about her death and who has always denied involvement in the killing, won a two-year legal battle against his extradition to France for questioning by French investigators examining the case.

He is suing the State for wrongful arrest and has lodged a complaint with the Garda ombudsman over the handling of the original investigation.

Yesterday, Sophie’s parents criticised the Irish judicial system but said they are confident that a review of the case by the garda cold-case unit, requested late last year, will yield a breakthrough.

And they said they expect French magistrate Patrick Gachon, who is overseeing a French investigation of the case, to recommend later this year that a trial proceed in France in the absence of a main suspect.

Jean Pierre Bloc, vice chairman of Assoph, the group campaigning for the truth about the murder of Ms du Plantier, and who accompanied Sophie’s parents yesterday, said the family has no other choice.

The group travelled to West Cork last night with Supt Liam Horgan, who met them at the airport. “It is always very moving to be back at Sophie’s house to see again the place where she fell and died. It’s very moving but we owe that to her,” said Ms Bouniol. “She came to this house because she loved Ireland and we owe it to her to carry on coming year after year. She was so happy in this house that we have to pay tribute to her by coming. This is not our last visit. We are not going to give up.”

Sophie’s son Pierre Louis, 32, his wife, and their daughter Sophie, holiday in West Cork several times a year.