French murder victim's family angered by slow progress of case

The family of Ms Sophie Toscan du Plantier, the French woman murdered in west Cork in December 1996, yesterday expressed frustration at the apparent lack of progress in the case. The family criticised what they described as the failure of the Irish authorities to respond to renewed requests for information.

Mr Daniel Toscan du Plantier, the dead woman's husband, and her parents, Georges and Marguerite Bouniol, had a meeting with their lawyer, Mr Paul Haennig, after a man was questioned by gardai for the second time last Tuesday and released.

"The parents and Daniel Toscan du Plantier thought that at last something was happening", Mr Haennig told The Irish Times. "Obviously, they're disappointed." They were also concerned that, under Irish law, the man cannot be questioned again unless he is charged with the murder.

Under French law Ms Toscan du Plantier's relatives filed a civil suit in Paris against her unknown murderer a year ago. A new investigating magistrate, Judge Sophie Chateau, was appointed to the case in November.

Following Garda questioning of the man on Tuesday, Judge Chateau is writing again to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Eamonn Barnes, to request that he keep her informed, Mr Haennig said.

Meanwhile, Mr Haennig is to appeal to the French Minister of Justice and President Chirac - who is a friend of Mr Toscan du Plantier - to put pressure on the Irish authorities. "It is absolutely unacceptable, whatever the legal reasons - it is indecent - that no response has been given so that we can have access to the file."

When she took over the case in November, Judge Chateau re-sent the International Rogatory Commission (a legal document to facilitate co-operation between police detectives from different countries) first transmitted in April 1997 by her predecessor.

The request was sent on both occasions through the French Ministry of Justice and Foreign Ministry, but the Irish authorities have never responded to it, according to Mr Haennig.

"Despite the interview I gave, despite the fuss in Ireland and the questions asked of the Minister for Justice by Opposition members of the Dail, there has still been no answer to the request made in the International Rogatory Commission. He [Mr O'Donoghue] hasn't answered `Yes' or `No' or anything at all."

Judge Chateau also wrote to Mr Eamonn Barnes, the Director of Public Prosecutions. Her letter apparently crossed his in the mail. "In three lines, he said that the state of the investigation did not enable him to press charges against anyone", Mr Haennig said. "He said there was insufficient evidence to take this decision and the investigation was continuing, full stop. That's it."

In contrast with the DPP's three-line letter, Mr Haennig said the family had learned through press reports that the file now contains more than 2,000 pages. "We want access to the file through legal channels", he said. "We are refused access to it. Let them at least say `No' and tell us why, in a clear way.

"The situation has become absolutely unbearable for the relatives", Mr Haennig continued. "They don't know anything. They hear the guy is being arrested, then he's let go. What does this mean? We are kept in the dark. This cruel treatment of the family and cavalier way of treating French justice is stupefying."

"You don't behave like that. We're in Europe; we're members of the [European] Union. We have the impression they don't give a damn, that they're not interested. It's as if we didn't exist, as if the International Rogatory Commission didn't exist."