THE long-awaited Garda Ombudsman's (GSOC) report into alleged falsified evidence in connection with the horrific murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier, has been described by Ian Bailey as ‘anodyne and wishy-washy'.
THE long-awaited Garda Ombudsman’s (GSOC) report into alleged falsified evidence in connection with the horrific murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier, has been described by Ian Bailey as ‘anodyne and wishy-washy’.
GSOC investigators, according to the report published last week, could find no evidence that gardaí set out to falsify evidence in an attempt to charge Ian Bailey with the murder that took place at Toormore near Schull over 22 years ago.
However, Mr Bailey told The Southern Star that he was not surprised at GSOC’s findings.
‘While I haven’t read the entire report,’ Ian Bailey said, ‘what I have read is wishy-washy and very anodyne. I am clearly very disappointed but not surprised at all.
He added: ‘This report took seven years to produce – in effect, nothing.’
The GSOC report cited major concerns with the garda management of the murder investigation, where important files and a total of 22 exhibits had gone missing, including a blood-splattered gate, a wine bottle and Mr Bailey’s coat, as well as a diary and tape recordings of conversations between Ian Bailey and a foreign journalist.
‘While the report contains no surprises from Ian Bailey’s point of view,’ Bailey’s solicitor Frank Buttimer told The Southern Star, ‘what is disappointing is that the GSOC report makes it clear that no one will be held to account for the failings in the investigation and the report also highlights the limitations of GSOC.’
However, Sophie Tuscan Du Plantier’s son, Pierre-Louis Baudey told The Irish Times that he continues to have ‘great confidence’ in the Irish and French justice systems.
‘The report strengthens my opinion, and I continue to have great confidence in the French and Irish justice systems which are going forward, slowly but surely,’ Pierre-Louis Baudey said.
‘I never believed in any kind of plot [to frame Mr Bailey]. I know there were failings. Those failings were harmful to my interests. But they don’t mean we won’t get to the truth. The report goes in the direction of the truth,’ Ms Du Plantier’s son added.
