TW. Noah. The PSNI and their failure to investigate his death?

[blackandgreen]

belfastmedia.com/what-are-the-police-hiding-in-the-noah-case
by Elly Omondi Odhiambo

Noah Donohoe was found lifeless in a storm drain on June 27, 2020. A post-mortem report declared that he died as a result of drowning. Well, because the job of the police is to look at every possible and impossible, there has been a growing number of Belfast residents wanting to know if there was a racial motivation in the death of Noah Donohoe. People want to know the truth. The more the family of Noah and public are cautioned against making so-called unsubstantiated statements, the more they hunger for the truth.The PSNI is bungling this sad case

This 14 year old set off on his bike one Sunday, two years ago now, to meet a friend. They were working on a Duke of Edinburgh award.

Six days later, his naked body was found a kilometre inside an unlocked storm drain, in a part of Belfast he did not frequent.

Apparently, the police announced that there was no foul play involved, on the very day that his body was found. Even before an autopsy took place. There still has been no Inquest.

The police version of events is that: Noah fell from his bike, sustained a head injury, removed his clothes in confusion, ditched his bike, wandered off naked into a part of the city he would not usually go into, and somehow ended up drowned a kilometre inside an ( unusually) unlocked storm drain.

I understand that Noah was of African/Irish heritage. Police have never considered a racial element in his death and disappearance. Another schoolboy a fortnight earlier, had been attacked and chased by a group of youths whilst cycling. He escaped from them only after running three miles to safety. Police did not investigate any links between the incidents.

His mother's demand for answers from the Police Service Northern Ireland appears to have been blocked by them. There is a petition requesting the release of these files.

See also
www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/noah-donohoe-senior-psni-officer-23277631

Please, if you are able, can you support his mum Fiona, and sign the petition on MN?

This has been referred to as "the PSNI's Stephen Lawrence scandal". Let us pray and hope that it is not.

Woman who failed in bid to trade in Noah Donohoe's laptop for money for drugs avoids jail
www.itv.com/news/utv/2022-08-11/woman-who-tried-to-trade-in-noah-donohoes-laptop-for-drug-money-avoids-jail

Mr O’Hare told the court she has been subjected to “very unfair comments on social media” since her conviction.
This is one despicable individual my heart does not bleed for. I for one remember what was said to have happened to Noah in a witness statement, with four career criminals named - since, of course, retracted - even if she claims not to via the police/PSNI.

A slapped wrist for her, and that is all. Remember her name: Maria Nolan.

Please help spread the word, especially to those not on social media, even if you only tell one person. Thank you.

Some updates posted on this thread here:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4599643-noah-donohoe-the-latest-news-is-very-bad

I apologise to everyone having difficulty finding this thread:
www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4607036-belfast-calling-please-join-his-family-this-saturday-13th-august-for-noah-donohoe-and-for-all-children-everybody-welcome
Unfortunately this has been completely out of my control. I found out only when you did. The thread has been moved by MNHQ without any contact with me via email and without any comment from them on the thread. I find this disrespectful and unsupportive, towards me as the OP and a longstanding mumsnetter, towards other posters on the thread and towards Noah and his family. In the past, we could have expected better from Mumsnet. I can only conclude that the vocal minority of reports complaining against threads for Noah have continued by those with their own agenda. Whether this is racism, sectarian bigotry, fear of the truth and justice because of the attention Noah's story is now getting, or something else, I can only guess. I do know that negative reporting and racist and other trolling posts towards his mummy Fiona and Noah and their supporters have increased alongside publicity after the PII was signed and ahead of the rally for Noah in Belfast tomorrow. The haters won't win. Justice for Noah and the truth for Fiona. 💙

Please do join the rally in Belfast at 1pm at City Hall tomorrow if you possibly can. Please don't leave it to other people to swell the numbers on your behalf. If everyone thought like that, nobody would be there. Please come and stand up for Noah, stand with Fiona and Niamh, and stand up for all children. As Noah's auntie Niamh says, 'Everyone is welcome to show their support on Saturday. All parties, all cultures & religions. Noah's Army & the fight for truth & justice is inclusive of all.'

Noah Donohoe's family releases statement ahead of Belfast city centre protest
www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/noah-donohoes-family-release-statement-24742546
"I'd like to firstly reiterate our complete gratitude at the swell of support around the worrying use of PII," Noah's aunt Niamh Donohoe said.
"The fact we are not screaming into the abyss alone is a huge comfort and support to us. People finally see the injustice of a lot of decisions being made in Noah's Case.
"Tomorrow is a gathering of Noah's Army from all across the globe, people have extended trips from NYC to be here, are travelling from across the pond and from all counties of our beautiful island. Each and every one of you are making a difference and impact. You are Noah's Voice.
"To all our friends in Noah's Army who can't be with us, we know you will be in spirit and will watch with pride as a community of amazing humans send out a strong message to those who need to see it.
"Please remember this is not a march. We are asking people to stand with us at Belfast City Hall at 1pm. There will be a few key speakers talking about the PII issue and because of time constraints on a gathering of that size we will ask the crowd to disperse safely and quickly at the end.
"We hope to keep you all no longer than an hour, it's the solidarity and the volume of people coming together that will have the impact, not the duration of the stand. Saturday's weather will be warm again so please be aware and take precautions.
"Thank you to everyone involved over the past two years especially Noah's Army you all make the difference."

Final call from Belfast this morning. Those who cannot be there at City Hall in person, please be there in spirit between 1pm and about 2pm today. Thank you. 💙

Thread with photos and news report from today - all welcome
www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/4610749-to-show-you-what-a-few-traffic-stopping-mumsnetters-got-up-to-in-the-sun-today

More updates now posted on the quoted thread.

Two further articles from Elly Omondi Odhiambo:
belfastmedia.com/racist-problem-is-not-going-away-any-time-soon

Please be aware that there is an image of racist graffiti in the linked report, which has been partially pixilated.

It is now 113 weeks since Noah disappeared. There have been some gross misrepresentations by some newspapers of some tweets from Fiona. To be clear, Fiona believes that somebody harmed Noah, as does Niamh. The fact is that, when Noah first disappeared and for over two years since his body was found, the police (PSNI) investigation has been nothing short of incompetent. Fiona wants only the truth. She wants only the facts. She wants only justice for Noah. The police should be providing her, Niamh, and the concerned public, with the facts. If there was genuinely 'no foul play' as the police insist, then they must prove it beyond all reasonable doubt - because they have not done that. There are many questions and pieces of information which throw grave doubt on the police narrative. Fiona, Niamh and their legal team should not be the ones having to investigate to find the truth. The police application for and the signing by the NI Secretary of the PII certificate for secrecy in the death of an innocent child has been the single greatest cause of speculation and concern about what happened to Noah. A tiny minority of people seek to use Noah's disappearance and death to cause division along sectarian lines however. This is completely unacceptable. Please do not just repeat speculation you have picked up, however well-intentioned. If you personally have any factual information with a source - not speculation you have just picked up, for example online - about Noah's disappearance and death, please contact the family legal team in complete confidence at KRW Law, Human Rights Lawyers. Otherwise, please continue to educate people about Noah's story, ask questions and do all you can to support and help his mother and auntie, such as signing and sharing Fiona's petition. Thank you. 💙

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4622344-will-you-be-in-belfast-this-thursday-afternoon-1st-september-2022-for-noah-donohoe

GREEN AND BLUE | Noah Donohoe death will colour the response to new play on Garda and RUC border patrolmen
‘People respond to it from the context in which they find themselves so inevitably the Noah Donohoe case will affect it’
www.sundayworld.com/news/northern-ireland-news/noah-donohoe-death-will-colour-the-response-to-new-play-on-garda-and-ruc-border-patrolmen/102347148.html

BBC News: 'On Thursday at a family court in Laganside Magistrates Court, attended by Noah's mother Fiona and aunt Niamh, Mr Justice Humphreys heard legal arguments from both the PSNI and counsel for the Donohoe family.
Three files of police information are at the centre of these arguments - containing around 600 pages and at least 119 redactions...
After the public hearing, a closed session was held to allow the coroner to view the unredacted material. He said he will give a written ruling on whether the police can redact some of their files within the next 7 days. The inquest is due to start on 28 November.'

From Fiona: 'We did feel heard as Noah's voice today thanks to the detailed submission from Noah's legal team and Brenda Campbell, reinforcing the core of our quest for answers is beautiful Noah, a child...that can never be forgotten.
Mr Humphreys was very much respectful to our need for answers for Noah...that is all we have ever asked for. We felt reassured by his wording...but we still are awaiting his final outcome...words and actions can sometimes be very far apart...always hesitant and cautious ..but always hopeful and wanting to be trusting.'
From Niamh: 'A child, Noah, has died. A family simply ask for the full, transparent truth.'

Police source leaking sensitive material on Noah Donohoe case online, family's lawyer claims
www.itv.com/news/utv/2022-09-01/police-source-leaking-sensitive-material-on-noah-donohoe-case

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-62756164

www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2022/0901/1320111-noah-donohoe-allegation/

💙 The Noah Donohoe Bridge 💙

Lagan Gateway bridge to be named after Noah Donohoe following Belfast City Council agreement
www.itv.com/news/utv/2022-09-01/lagan-gateway-bridge-to-be-named-after-noah-donohoe-following-council-agreement

From Fiona: 'A beautiful legacy...and so humbled for Noah as he would be...but Noah would still say NO deflection. Right now will not deflect from what is important.'
From Niamh: 'It is a huge honour for this bridge to be named after Noah. A positive way of ensuring his legacy lives on for many years. This bridge is symbolic of what we hope for Noah's Foundation in the future, a bridge for all the communities & people of Belfast to access & enjoy.'

💙
Lovely gesture!
💙🙏🏾💙

💙

Noah Donohoe: Enniskillen protest planned in support of schoolboy's family
"We want people to see that Fermanagh is supporting Noah's family just like many other counties across Northern Ireland."
www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/noah-donohoe-enniskillen-protest-planned-24885226

Enniskillen to stage protest for Noah Donohoe
fermanaghherald.com/2022/08/enniskillen-to-stage-protest-for-noah-donohoe/

Noah campaign needs support from ‘all of Fermanagh’
fermanaghherald.com/2022/08/noah-campaign-needs-support-from-all-of-fermanagh/

Application for PII upheld. Absolute travesty… again
www.itv.com/news/utv/2022-09-08/psni-application-to-withhold-sensitive-information-from-donohoe-inquest-upheld

Update from Niamh Donohoe:
'On Thursday Fiona & myself will attend court for the long-awaited Preliminary Hearing. These court sessions deal with important issues leading up to Noah's Inquest. Submissions for a Jury-led Inquest will be thrashed out.

On days where we attend court, it may just be a "job" to the respected & learned legal professionals that debate alongside us in support & against. For us it's about LIFE. Noah's life, Fiona's life, our lives, our babies, the right to life, this is our lives. Noah's life was ended suddenly on the 21st of June 2020, that day changed our lives FOREVER. It's hard to look back & remember life before that & these days it's best not to as those days are unrecognisable to us now. We have come put up against horrendous abuse, threats, intimidation from people & reps in all walks of life.

Someday we will have our chance to tell the real story. For now, our hands are tied & we will always remain respectful for Noah's sake. The documentary process is ongoing & relentless also & final edit stage isn't far off.

Since our brother's death in August, we have taken time to breathe & gather ourselves. We are strong & well able to continue the #GoodFight✊ in Noah's name, sorry to disappoint those in authority if you thought we had tapped out😬. Onwards & upwards together #NoahsArmy⚡💙 . We're never tapping out. Just respecting the passing of our brother & gathering strength for the next battle. 👊👊👊👊👊'

Update from Niamh Donohoe:
'Today's Preliminary Hearing was firm & fair, & respect is due to all parties involved including Coroner Mr Joe McCrisken. Submissions put forward on Noah's behalf by Brenda Campbell QC leave no doubt that Noah is in the best hands possible. Jury decision due in 2 weeks.'

What really happened in and around this residential street - Northwood Road in Belfast - on Sunday, 21st June, 2020 and the six days after? A child was seen, running naked, distressed and exhausted. Think about what happened, what really happened, to that innocent child. Imagine that happening to you or to somebody you love. Look carefully at his grieving mother's face. Look very carefully. Examine your heart and your conscience. Break the silence. Please.

Update from Niamh Donohoe on the awaited Coroner's decision about a jury for Noah's inquest:

'We were assured that by close of business on Thursday we were to be informed of the long-awaited decision on a Jury Led or Coroner Led Inquest for Noah. That day has come and gone and true to form no communication has been directed to us on this important decision.

We turn up to court, we do what is asked of us in this process, we show respect when respect is due & we expect the same in return. Yet again a display of disdain and blatant disrespect not only for us but for beautiful Noah💙.It seems we are the only party that sticks to our word. There is no level playing field in this so we will continue to use everything at our disposal to ensure Noah gets the justice he deserves. BE NOAH'S VOICE, SILENCE IS NOT AN OPTION!!!'

Update:
The coroner will today give his decision on whether or not a jury will be present for Noah's inquest later this month.

All supporters and media reporters welcome to attend:
Thursday 27th October, 2022 at 3pm
Langanside Courts, Belfast

Following.
Noah 🖤