'We are still trying to get justice': Sister calls for State apology for death of Daniel McAnaspie

Cathriona McAnaspie with her aunt Sabrina during an appeal for information in 2010, when Daniel was still considered to be missing. Picture: James Horan/RollingNews.ie

The sister of Daniel McAnaspie, who was murdered while in the care of the HSE, is calling for a State apology for systemic failures that lead to his death.

Daniel was just 17 years old when he was stabbed to death in February 2010 at Tolka Valley Park near Blanchardstown, Dublin.

His remains, which were badly decomposed, were found in a deep drain on farmland in Co Meath two months later.

A jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing at his inquest earlier this month and recommended an urgent review of the State’s approach to child protection and welfare.

Daniel’s sister Cathriona McAnaspie told the Irish Examiner: “My brother didn’t deserve this. He was a child, the idea that you put a child out at 17 to fend for themselves, its illogical.

“The State must answer questions about why Daniel was not put in a secure unit.

“He met all the criteria but was refused and honestly, I just want to thank the jury for giving us this breakthrough, only for them, we would not be able to highlight the injustices done to our brother.

It’s been a long 15 years and then we had to go through the courts system for the convictions for those responsible for killing Daniel, between that and covid and all the delays, we are still here trying to get justice for Daniel.

Cathriona was a young mother of one in her 20s when her brother died, and now her daughter is 17. She says all those years have been overshadowed by the death of her brother.

“He was in state care, he should have been protected, we want a state apology because this should not have happened” she said.

“I really haven’t been able to sleep since the inquest. There was so much stuff I didn’t know, and we are a very close family, I thought I knew everything about Daniel.

“There was a psychologist report who said he would not last 12 months on the streets, he was running away, and he should have been taken into a secure unit.

That report has haunted me; it was written one day before Daniel was murdered.

“I also didn’t know Daniel tried to attempt suicide, I was never told that and that was also in the psychologist report, I was really taken aback by that, and it was recommended he go into a unit and then he was dead.

“The doctors were worried about him, he was very unwell extremely vulnerable, and he was suicidal.

“I find that hard, I blamed myself for years and then listening to that in court, he was in care, he should have been looked after properly”.

She said that “nothing has changed in the system” and that children are still “falling through the cracks”.

“They couldn’t wait to get rid of Daniel as far as I’m concerned and the state and the HSE need to be held accountable.

“If they had listened to the experts at the time, I believe Daniel would be alive today.”