THE FAMILY of murdered French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier has welcomed the news that the Irish authorities are to allow French forensic investigators examine evidence gathered by gardaí in their investigation of the killing.
Ms Toscan du Plantier’s uncle, Jean Pierre Gazeau, said the decision by the Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern, to grant French magistrate Patrick Gachon access to evidence in the case was an important step towards trying to identifying his niece’s killer.
It is understood that Judge Gachon hopes to send a team of French forensic experts to Dublin before the end of the year to examine blood samples and other exhibits for DNA evidence at the State Laboratory under supervision by members of the Garda Technical Bureau.
Mr Gazeau told The Irish Timesthat both Ms Toscan du Plantier's family and campaign group, the Association for the Truth about the Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier (ASSOPH), were hugely encouraged by the decision of the Irish authorities.
“This information is very encouraging for us in view of the huge improvements in the forensic techniques over the most recent years,” said Mr Gazeau, who set up ASSOPH with other relatives and friends of Ms Toscan du Plantier in late 2007.
“Indeed, we were always and we are still puzzled by the absence of any tangible indication in the material evidences collected by the Garda. We strongly hope for some decisive issue through such a novel examination,” he added.
Mr Gazeau’s comments were echoed by ASSOPH’s legal adviser, lawyer Alain Spilliaert, who said that the Department of Justice’s authorisation for testing by French experts was “emblematic of the good co-operation between the justice authorities of both countries”.
“With the phenomenal progress made in the whole area of forensic science over the last number of years, there is a new hope for the family that these new analyses will provide evidence as to who killed Sophie,” he said.
Mr Spilliaert said it was also encouraging to know Judge Gachon was continuing his investigation and had not suspended it pending the outcome of a European Arrest Warrant application for English journalist, Ian Bailey.
The European Arrest Warrant was issued by Judge Gachon last March and was endorsed by the High Court in April with the hearing of the case now listed by Mr Justice Michael Peart for October following adjournments in June and July.
Mr Spilliaert said the fact Judge Gachon was using the time to continue with his inquiries was an indication of the diligence with which he was conducting his investigation of the murder of Ms Toscan du Plantier at her holiday home in West Cork in December 1996.
“Judge Gachon continues to act with method and this is very satisfactory for the family as is the fact that that the case is considered to be a priority case by the French department of justice,” Mr Spilliaert said.