We need to help little birds with broken wings, like Emily, fly again

The only people who really, genuinely, cared for Emily and her quality of life were her mother and her family, writes Fergus Finlay.

“Emily was my little bird with a broken wing whom I loved, cared for and protected. Our struggle is mirrored in the lives of so many people in similar situations in Ireland. Like me, very many parents and carers of children who are disabled, struggle on a daily basis to get access to services and support systems which are very often simply not there.”

That’s an extract from the statement read out on Bernadette Scully’s behalf, after she was unanimously acquitted of the manslaughter of her daughter. Most people reading it — especially if they have experience of disability in their lives — would have had three reactions.