A Garda investigation into the 1996 murder of a French woman in West Cork must continue until her killer is found, it was claimed today.
The family of filmmaker Sophie Toscan du Plantier travelled from France to hold today's memorial service to mark the tenth anniversary of the unsolved killing.
The mother-of-two, 39 was beaten to death and her body was dumped near her holiday home at Toormore, Schull on December 23rd, 1996.
Sophie's parents, George and Marguerite Bouniol, and aunt Madeleine Opalka today laid a wreath at the site of her death before attending a tenth anniversary Mass in Goleen Parish Church.
Nobody has been charged with the murder to date and the investigation, which is based at Bantry Garda Station, remains open.
Opposition Justice spokesman and local politician Jim O'Keeffe today urged the Garda investigation into the crime to continue until detectives achieve a successful prosecution.
He said: "There is a great sense of sympathy and solidarity with Sophie's family who have lived with their grief for the past decade.
"There is also much concern that nobody has been brought to justice for the murder during that period. I hope that the Garda will continue with its efforts in investigating the crime and bring charges before the courts."
A year-long review of the Garda investigation into the murder has concluded and is expected to issue a report soon.
The review, led by Assistant Commissioner Ray McAndrew, was set up by Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy in response to concerns about Garda behaviour.
Last April, Sophie's family dropped a civil action against a suspect in the case, journalist Ian Bailey. Sophie's badly-beaten body was found by the gateway leading to her dormer holiday cottage at Toormore on the morning of December 23rd, 1996, by her neighbour.
A post-mortem examination confirmed she died from a laceration to the brain caused by a fracture to the skull due to multiple head injuries inflicted by a blunt instrument. Gardai arrested Mr Bailey for questioning three months after the murder but he was released without charge.
In January 1998, he was arrested again but he was again released without charge. He has continued to protest his innocence of the crime. The Garda investigation into the murder was criticised in the past by Sophie's husband, French film producer Daniel Toscan du Plantier, who died aged 61 in 2003.
He had accused the Garda of treating him with suspicion and keeping him in the dark about their inquiry. He said Sophie's killer would now be in jail if the murder had happened in France and the investigation was carried out under French law.
In 1998, he vowed that he would not return to Ireland until his wife's murder had been solved.