Vigil held in Limerick for two women found dead in recent days
A crowd gathered in Limerick to pay tribute to Jady Cristine Pereira Rosa and Annmarie O'Reilly. Pictrue: Brendan Gleeson
A vigil was held in Limerick this evening for Brazilian woman Jady Cristine Pereira Rosa as gardaí confirmed the body of her husband, who was suspected of murdering her, had been found in Cork.
Gardaí launched a murder investigation into the death Ms Pereira Rosa, 33, after her body was found at an apartment in the Carlton House complex on Cecil St at approximately 7.30am on Friday.
Investigating gardaí were keen to speak to Brazilian national Judismar Wesley Batista, who was Ms Pereira Rose’s husband.
Sources confirmed to the that a body found in Cork last Friday at approximately 7pm was Mr Batista.
Friends of Ms Pereira Rosa told the she had been married to him for over a decade. She broke off their relationship a couple of months ago, but Batista “was not accepting much” and hoped for “reconciliation”.
Gardaí issued a statement this afternoon confirming that a man aged in his 30s, who was a person of interest and a line of inquiry in the investigation, has been found dead.
They said they continue to investigate the murder of Ms Rosa Pereira to “determine all of the circumstances of her death”. A senior investigating officer has been appointed to lead the investigation. An incident room has been established at Henry Street Garda Station.
Meanwhile, gardaí are still working on notifying the family of Mr Batista.
On Friday, siblings of Ms Pereira Rosa widely shared posts calling for Mr Batista to be found before posting that his body had been discovered.
Friends of Ms Pereira Rosa were the ones who raised the alarm on Friday morning as they were due to meet her for work at a cleaning company in Co Limerick.
They were met by Ms Pereira Rosa’s partner, who left the apartment building and told them she “would be down in a couple of minutes”. As she didn’t appear, they alerted gardaí at Henry Street station, less than 200m away.
It is believed Mr Batista then travelled from Limerick to Cork using public transport.
Ms Pereira Rosa and Mr Batista had been living together in Limerick for years and were involved in events organised by the Brazilian community. They had studied English together at Student Campus in Limerick.
On Monday evening, a vigil held by Rosa Limerick saw candles and notes being gently placed at Bedford Row, as a crowd gathered to pay tribute not only to Ms Pereira Rosa, but also to Tipperary woman Annmarie O’Reilly who was found dead with serious injuries in Australia.
At the vigil, Brazilian native Gabriela Lobianco said that “the femicide that happened” in Limerick is “not news for us”.
In Brazil, the federal legislation Lei Maria da Penha was introduced in 2006 to create strict legal measures to prevent, punish and eradicate domestic and family violence against women.
“In Brazil, femicide, it is a law. It's Maria da Penha law, and we need to bring that to Ireland because violence against women and gender-based violence are structural," said Ms Lobianco. “We need to fight this fight."
Vigil organiser Caitríona Ní Chatháin told the : “I think it really, really hits home when it's something that happens in a building down the road from you, as in my case, or when it's somebody connected to your community in some way.
“The incidences of femicide are on the rise in Ireland. We've already surpassed the number of femicides in 2026 compared to 2025 on this island. Ireland ranks quite high amongst other countries in the EU as well.”
Ms Chatháin said it is “extremely” important to show up to grieve.
“We are grieving the loss of two women whose lives have been tragically cut short at the hands of male violence,” she said. "But we should also be angry that this is continuously happening, that there are patterns, that there is research, women are raising fears and concerns all the time about their safety, and that not enough is being done. The Government needs to listen."
Local councillor Elisa O’Donovan said: “ I just can't express my sympathies enough to her extensive friends in the Brazilian community and in our Limerick City community here as well, and obviously to her family in Brazil as they make the incredibly difficult journey of bringing back the body of their daughter, their sister. It's just absolutely horrific.
“It's really important that we come together as a community and share our grief, our profound sense of loss.
"We have had another woman die violently in our city.”
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
