Posted by French court travesty didn’t bring justice for tragic Sophie Toscan du Plantier
5 hrs ago
The second of two series revisiting the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, titled Sophie: A Murder In West Cork – was released this week on Netflix.
So as to differentiate its offering from Jim Sheridan’s, Netflix claims that its version puts the emphasis back on the victim, who has indeed been reduced to a bit player in the enduring ‘did he or didn’t he?’ mystery surrounding Ian Bailey.
In order to remove any inconvenient distractions, then, the Netflix take has apparently concluded that Bailey, right, did it.
This will certainly gratify Sophie’s family, who were pleased with the French court’s verdict of Bailey’s guilt two years ago.
Except that hearing was a travesty that would have put North Korea to shame: one crucial witness was rejected because she wasn’t going to give the evidence they wanted to hear; retracted statements were used; there were no forensics; no DNA; hearsay evidence was admitted and; as Bailey didn’t attend, no defender was appointed to test the evidence against him.
The French weren’t looking for someone to convict, meaning to hold accountable on the basis of convincing evidence. They were looking for someone to blame. And that isn’t justice for Sophie, either.
Who Watches the Watchers? 