Du Plantier Murder

Of all the murders that have taken place in this country, solved and unsolved, and god knows there has been a lot, the murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier has intrigued me greatly. The fact that it still remains unsolved some 13 years later is at the heart of the intrigue I guess. There have been retracted witness statements, damning character assassinations and accusations of incompetence from the French authorities.
As a nation we take very seriously the welcoming quality for which we are famed. In all honesty it isn't stretching things to say that this quality rings true in Irish society and isn't just a Failte Ireland value. Therefore when someone from outside these shores should choose to spend some time here only to be met with the most brutal consequences we are rightly abhorred as a collective. A similar fate befell Manuela Riedo, a 17 year old Swiss student on a trip to Galway in 2007. Thankfully in this case justice was swift. Nonetheless we were disgusted that such an event should happen.
Sophie Toscan Du Plantier was a documentary maker of note and wife of the acclaimed producer Daniel Toscan Du Plantier. She was also the mother of a young son. Schull in West Cork was very much a peaceful idyllic retreat from her hectic schedule back home in France. She died after a brutal beating outside her holiday home on December 23rd 1996.
Justice has never been reached in the case. One individual, Ian Bailey, has been the ever present accused when it comes to the case. He has been twice arrested for questioning on the investigation yet released without charge on both occasions. The DPP declared that there was insufficient evidence to prosecute anyone for the Du Plantier murder. The French authorities are incredulous with what they see as the shortcomings in the Irish Justice system and so the case will continue to roll. The latest development being that the French are seeking to extradite Bailey to answer charges. The hope is is that this case will be resolved and closure can be found for the relatives.