Conroy Family Fight for Justice

dublin | crime and justice | other press

Wednesday August 16, 2006 15:23

by Tadhg McGrath

dublincentralsf at gmail dot com

28 year-old Celine Conroy from Dublin's North Inner City was brutally killed in Spain in August 2005. Her family wish to be represented at the trial later this year of the man alleged to have been her killer, and under Spanish law, they can be.

However, court costs will amount to €10,000.

Since this is a huge amount for the Conroy family, many people have called for the Department of Foreign Affairs to intervene, and make a grant to the family so that they can be present and fully informed of what is happening at the inquiry into their Celine's death.

However the government has refused, forcing the family to try to raise funds locally, with a major benefit night on the 15th September at the Roayl Dublin Hotel.

The Northside People article below gives some background to the case.

The family of Northside mum Celine Conroy who was beaten to death in Spain last year is appealing for money in their fight for justice. One year after her violent death, Celine’s family is pleading for help to pay for an expensive and difficult legal battle over the coming months.

Celine's mum Sandra is asking anyone who can help to get in touch with the family.
“I need a solicitor to represent Celine and to represent myself,” said Ms Conroy. “I need to know all the details and the ins and outs of what is going on in court.
“This has been like a horror movie for us and the fact that Celine's death is a Spanish investigation and will be a Spanish trial has made it more difficult.

“This is too important for us,” she added. “Celine is too important for us not to be able to see her killer brought to justice.”

The close-knit Conroy family, who live on Sean O'Casey Avenue, face a bill of over e10,000 for a legal representative in Spain.

Ms Conroy told Northside People that she feels partly responsible for Celine's death.
“I found out I had cancer two days before her death,” the heartbroken mother explained. “I didn't tell her even though she was my best friend because I knew she would cut her holiday short and come home immediately.

“If she had known and come home maybe she would be alive today.”
Mum Sandra has battled hard with her daughter's tragic death and intensive chemotherapy treatments over the last year.

“Fighting the cancer has been tough and has meant that I couldn't put more effort and time into fundraising for our legal costs,” she said.
“Having our own representation and interpreter for the trial is so important for us. If we could afford to cover the costs on our own we would.

“It is only thanks to the help of the community that we were able to afford to bury Celine.”

The Conroy family has taken Celine's three children into care.
Eldest son Shane is nine years old, Chloe is six and Leah is just two years of age.
“The two older children are in counselling and had a rough time of it,” grandmother Sandra sobbed.

“The youngest little one is too young to know what has happened. We just can't imagine what they saw the night of their mother's death.”

Celine's uncle David Fitzsimons described the difficult task of identifying his niece's body.
“We are going to do everything we can to make sure she and her children are properly represented in this trial.

“We are appealing to anyone who can help us to make a donation to the fund we set up especially for it.”

Mr Fitzsimons criticised the Irish Government, claiming that they had let the heartbroken family down.
“It is difficult to accept that the Irish Government cannot offer some help to a family whose daughter was killed in Spain,” he said. “Even if they helped pay for accommodation for the family while they attended the trial.”

Mary Lou McDonald MEP is lobbying the Taoiseach and the Department of Foreign Affairs to help the Conroy family.

“I have written to the Taoiseach's office and the Department of Foreign Affairs on behalf of Ms Conroy, appealing for support, only to be told that help would not be forthcoming,” Deputy McDonald said.

“An urgent intervention is needed if Ms Conroy is to travel to Spain to achieve justice for her daughter.

“The Government could and should make a compassionate donation to the family of Ms Conroy to fight this legal case.”

There will be a charity night held in aid of raising money for the family in the coming weeks.
The Royal Dublin Hotel on O'Connell Street will be the venue for the big bash on September 15.

There will be raffles, gambling, karaoke and a disco held in aid of Celine Conroy with all money raised going towards legal costs.

Tickets will be e10 per head and all are welcome on the night.

Anyone who wants to make a donation can lodge money into Bank of Ireland's account named Celine Conroy's Defence Fund (Account number: 45469339/ Sort code: 900711)