Kerry Babies: 34 years on, an apology for Joanne

Gardaí have issued an apology to the woman at the centre of the Kerry babies scandal, admitting for the first time that the original investigation was substandard.

Some 34 years after charges against Joanne Hayes for the murder of Baby John on White Strand in Caherciveen, Co Kerry, were dropped, the acting Garda Commissioner, Dónall Ó Cualáin, has written to and spoken to Ms Hayes to formally apologise to her for the conduct of the original investigation.

The infant’s body, which had suffered almost 30 stab wounds, including two to the heart, was found in a bag on White Strand Beach, Caherciveen, in April 1984. No-one has ever been held responsible for the death of the five-day-old boy.