Banotti: People unknowingly 'colluded' in Tipp deaths

Fine Gael MEP Mary Banotti today said she was deeply saddened upon hearing of the discovery of the bodies of Christopher Crowley and his six-year-old daughter Deirdre in Co Tipperary.

Ms Banotti said today: "I am deeply upset. Chris is an extremely impressive woman and never gave up.

"It was my worst fear that something like this would happen."

Ms Banotti added: "I don’t seriously think Mr Crowley could have stayed in Ireland and kept the child hidden without a considerable amount of help from people, who have thought they were helping him, but have, in a sense, colluded in this frightful tragedy.

"Somebody who has hidden a child like that for more than 18 months has to be presumed to be either obsessional or dangerous, because it is not a natural thing for anybody to do.

"There is a tendency, I am afraid, for people to think it is only a domestic issue a row between a man and a woman over the custody of a child.

"But these are very dangerous times, and speed is of the essence. There is a lot to be learned from this.

"How the whole thing was handled, right from the beginning, will have to be looked at.

"Clearly this man was only able to do this because he was getting help from somewhere, from people close to him."