THE FAMILY of murdered French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier have requested the Garda to do a “cold case” review of the killing 16 years ago.
They have contacted the Garda Serious Crime Review Team, which does such investigations of old crimes, to re-examine the killing of the 39-year-old mother of one in west Cork.
Alain Spilliaert, lawyer for Ms Toscan du Plantier’s parents, Georges and Marguerite Bouniol, confirmed that the family and campaign group, the Association for the Truth about the Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, have made the request to Garda authorities.
The family and support group were briefed by their Irish lawyer, James MacGuill, on the work carried out by the Serious Crime Review Team. Following consideration, they instructed Mr MacGuill to contact the cold case investigators and ask them to examine the murder. Mr MacGuill said he had contacted the review team head, Det Supt Christy Mangan, a month ago and had written to him earlier this week requesting that the case be looked at again.
“We believe that there is material out there relating to Ms Toscan du Plantier’s murder which, while it is already known, its significance may not have been fully appreciated. And we believe there is fertile ground for the review team to carry out an investigation,” said Mr MacGuill.
An uncle of the dead woman, Jean Pierre Gazeau, is head of the Association for the Truth about the Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier. He said it believed that asking the Garda review team to look again at the killing could yield further evidence that would lead to the identification and prosecution of his niece’s killer.
“We are confident that any serious comprehensive review of the entire case, including an analysis of documents, could be a very useful means of helping to mobilise the Irish justice system so that we can get justice for Sophie,” said Mr Gazeau.
Mr Spilliaert said a French investigation into Ms Toscan du Plantier’s murder would also continue and the decision to ask the review team should not be interpreted as a diminution of French determination to apprehend the killer.
“Judge Patrick Gachon will continue with his investigation. The fact that we are now asking the Garda to carry out a cold case review is not an indication of any lessening of our resolve here in France to proceed with the French investigation,” said Mr Spilliaert.
“We see the decision to ask the gardaí to carry out a cold case review as ensuring that there will be parallel investigations in Ireland and France. We see them as complementary with the same aim of bringing Sophie’s killer to justice.”
Mr Spilliaert added that he believed a request should have been made to the review team four years ago. But the family had not engaged an Irish lawyer at the time and were wrongly under the impression the case was already the subject of a review.
Ms Toscan Du Plantier’s badly battered body was found near the entrance to her isolated holiday home at Dreenane, Toormore, near Schull, west Cork, on December 23rd, 1996.
