A GROUP set up to campaign for justice for murdered French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier has welcomed the appointment by the French authorities of a second judge to assist with the investigation into her killing in West Cork over 12 years ago.
The Association for the Truth about the Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier was set up by relatives and friends of Ms Toscan du Plantier to campaign within the French justice system to have her killer brought to justice.
This weekend group president and Ms Toscan du Plantier's uncle, Jean Pierre Gazeau, confirmed to The Irish Timesthat investigating magistrate Judge Patrick Gachon had requested the assistance of a second magistrate to help him.
“We learned recently that Judge Gachon asked the French justice authorities for a second magistrate to assist him and Judge Nathalie Dutartre has been appointed to help with the investigation,” said Mr Gazeau.
“We think this is very important and very meaningful in terms of the consideration being given to the case by the French justice system – it is very encouraging for us and gives us great hope . . .”
Campaign group member and lawyer Alain Spilliaert said the appointment of Judge Dutartre was significant because she was very experienced in investigating serious criminal matters and had worked before with Judge Gachon on important cases.
“She has worked with Judge Gachon on several cases and it shows us the consideration being given the case by the French justice because it’s not always the case that two judges are appointed to review the file and it means they can split the work so it’s a good development.”
Mr Spilliaert, who represents Sophie’s parents, Georges and Marguerite Bouniol in their dealings with Judge Gachon, said the Garda file on the case which was given to the French authorities in December was still being translated into French.
“It is a very large file . . . and we expect that the translation will be available to Judge Gachon by the middle of April – after that we would expect that French police will seek permission to come to Ireland to speak to witnesses interviewed by gardaí.”
The body of Ms Toscan du Plantier was found with serious head injuries near the track leading to her remote holiday home in the hills near Toormore between Schull and Goleen in west Cork on the morning of December 23rd, 1996.
Gardaí conducted an extensive investigation into the killing but no one has ever been charged in relation to the murder and last year Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy directed that the file on the killing be made available to the French authorities.
It followed the DPP decision that nobody should be prosecuted following a review by Assistant Garda Commissioner Ray McAndrew of the original Garda investigation amid claims that a witness had been coerced by gardaí into making false statements.