WEST Cork friends of Georges Bouniol, the elderly father of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, who passed away in Paris on Monday, have vowed to continue to find the truth about her brutal murder.
Mr Bouniol, who was 98 years of age, died this week, just days after the 28th anniversary of her murder at her holiday home at Toormore, near Schull, was marked by her family and friends.
Georges Bouniol and his wife Marguerite spent almost three decades trying to find out the truth about their daughter’s murder and recently the Association for the Truth about the Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier took out an ad in The Southern Star appealing to anyone ‘concealing the truth’ about her murder to come forward.
Schull resident and family friend, Bill Hogan, who also signed the appeal along with members of Sophie’s family and her friends, said he will continue to help the family find the truth about Sophie’s tragic murder on December 23rd, 1996.
‘Many years ago, I was with Georges and Marguerite and her sister at Sophie’s house in Toormore at Christmas time. He asked me to please help them to find the truth as they felt the investigation wasn’t going well,’ said Bill.
‘So back then I committed myself to helping the family find the truth about this case. And even though Georges is gone now, I’m going to continue to help the family find the truth. I care about justice.’
Bill described Georges as a ‘gentle person’, who lived to a great age. He last saw him a few weeks ago over a zoom call at the association’s agm.
‘It was lovely to see Marguerite and Georges sitting there together along with their son Bertrand who was minding them during the call.’
He added that the friends and family of Sophie are waiting for garda action in this investigation as it’s been 28 years since her murder.
‘George and Marguerite have been afflicted for all these years with the terrible death of their daughter. People around here in West Cork are abhorred by Sophie’s murder.’
The chief suspect in the murder, Ian Bailey, died last January in Bantry after suffering a suspected heart attack.
He always denied being responsible for her murder and was arrested and questioned twice in connection with her murder but was never charged.
He was convicted in absentia following a trial in France in 2015 but successfully fought being extradited there.
A full review of the case, which commenced in June 2022 is still ongoing.
