Noah Donohoe: the latest news is very bad

[MNettersForNoahAndFiona]

Many Mumsnetters will have already seen and kindly supported my threads and those of others about the disappearance and death of young Noah Donohoe in Belfast in June 2020. For those who haven't, Noah's naked body was retrieved from a drain after he had been missing for 6 days. Two years later, his grieving mother Fiona, with her sister Niamh at her side, is still having to fight for the truth about her adored son's disappearance and death and for justice for him.

Yesterday, Fiona was given official notice by the government/NIO that a Public Interest Immunity Certificate has been granted. It was signed by the new Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Shailesh Vara, MP for North West Cambridgeshire. This means that the police/PSNI are allowed to keep hundreds of pages of information from their botched investigation into the disappearance and death of this innocent and precious child secret. It was received by the police/PSNI and Crown Solicitors Office on the 19th July and his mother was not told for over a week.

Mr Vara was appointed after Brandon Lewis resigned from Boris Johnson's cabinet. He has only been in his post as NI Secretary for two weeks. This is not a good start. Signing the PII Certificate so swiftly indicates to me that he has not taken due time and care to learn all the facts in Noah's case. I think anyone who concludes from this that Mr Vara is just a government and police puppet could be forgiven.

For those Mumsnetters not in Northern Ireland who believe that PII Certificates don't concern you, a PII Certificate application from the police/PSNI protected Robert Howard, a known prolific and violent child killer and rapist. It allowed him to travel to England, Scotland and Ireland. He was only brought to justice when he raped and killed a child in Kent. This is only one example of many.

If you are not outraged, then you have not been paying attention. What can you do? Please think about this and do what you can. Please join us in raising awareness about Noah on social media, with your own government representatives and mainstream media. If you want to contact Shailesh Vara directly about Noah's case:
members.parliament.uk/member/1496/contact
Email at NIO: [email protected]
He is also on Twitter:
twitter.com/ShaileshVara

Here is a factual and reliable pinned Twitter thread for people new to Noah's story or wanting to know more:
mobile.twitter.com/MarymoBelfast/status/1370453351616425985
Here is Fiona's podcast:

Here is a Channel 4 News report: www.channel4.com/news/noah-donohoe-family-seek-answers-over-belfast-teenagers-death And please, if you haven't already, do still join the 309,146 people who have showed they care by signing Fiona's petition. Link in the OP of this thread: www.mumsnet.com/talk/petitions_noticeboard/4573833-noah-donohoe-his-mothers-fight-for-the-truth-and-justice-please-help-stop-the-police-coroner-and-brandon-lewis-from-keeping-investigation-files-into-the-death-of-a-child-secret-thread-3?

Thank you sincerely for reading and for your support. 💙

TLDR:
As Marion Wright Edelman said, if we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much. Shame on you, Shailesh Vara. AIBU?

Thank you again @hedgehoglurker

There's a lot of assumptions in your post though. You don't actually know for sure that what you've said is 100% true.

This is very much appreciated @stillherenow - thank you. Please will you let us know if you receive any reply?

There's a lot of assumptions in your post though. You don't actually know for sure that what you've said is 100% true.
I'm not sure where the assumptions from your own previous post came from, but I prefer to deal with facts from those who knew Noah best and from disclosures.

Only step away if you want to. I think that is the intension of a small minority - to get people to look away, to step away, to shut up. It won't work and now only makes most people suspicious about the motives.

Unfortunately, because of his actions to date, it is very difficult for Fiona and Niamh to have any confidence in this coroner.

Again, please do not believe everything you read - Fiona does not stand with anyone like that and nor do I. Looking at those seeking truth, justice and peace in history, the most successful people were the ones willing to speak to everyone for the greater good. It is the worst of times, but Fiona is a devoted mother and a peaceful warrior for her beloved child. That is her focus. It is impossible to describe what the last two years have cost her and her sister Niamh. For people to wade in and focus on attacking and criticising her for their own ends at this time beggars belief. They won't win.

I firmly believe that the truth will out and there will be justice for Noah.

Thank you for taking the trouble to learn about Noah's story. Please do tell others about Noah, and consider signing and sharing Fiona's petition.

Thank you very much for this @Dobbysgotthesocks

The police had announced they were going to search houses on Northwood Road and Premier Drive on the 27th, but then Noah's body was retrieved from the drain before any house searches could take place. Just to clarify, two witnesses - mothers - have said they saw Noah naked on their street and thought it was a 'Fathers Day prank'. Noah's body had slight water damage but only to his hands and feet and a couple of minor scrapes - nothing to suggest he had travelled so far in such rough and difficult terrain and spent six days in that drain environment. It was a witness who said she saw him have a minor fall from his bike.

Petition update: very pleased to say 323,360 people have signed now, and the number continues to climb. Please do sign and share if you can - link to the thread is in the OP.

You have made assumptions. You don't know. No mother knows what their 14 year old is up to every minute of every day.

It would be good if you could explain please what will happen in the private hearing before the inquest.

Bump

@exnewwifeproblems I understand your concerns.

This isn't about SF or any politic party.

I've been part of Noah's army from the beginning when SF buried their heads in the sand, ignoring the case.

It's about the death of a child and lack of investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death and why the missing minors investigation was handled so badly in the days before he was found.

There is no place for a PII certificate in the case of an innocent child.

It might be a different child next year or the year after, NI needs to move on from the cloak and dagger politics.

The actions against no PII will benefit every child in the future for such a disastrous faith.

I hope you can understand why I am supporting the case, it has nothing to do with politics. Fiona breaks my heart, people don't support each other enough anymore and the thought of being alone in her situation is awful.

I have nothing but respect for her fight.

@EmeraldShamrock1 I'm sorry but respectfully I disagree.

As a Protestant working class person from a loyalist estate I can't and won't get on a bus funded by Sinn Fein, organised by Sinn Fein and to go to a protest where the main speakers are Sinn Fein.

They have filthy hands in terms of killing children. You sup with the devil you need a long spoon as they say.

Respectfully, it's a no from me.

Exnewwife you really are not painting yourself in a good light here. What have you got to gain by constantly arguing and derailing the thread, you've already made your opinions quite clear.

I'm embarrassed at your social skills, that you think this is actually appropriate.

I am autistic. I refuse to feel embarrassed for that.

(I have posted about being autistic before and the issues it causes me - if not on this thread then on others.) I've been very open about it. I do not feel embarrassed about being autistic and I won't let anyone else belittle me because of it

There are of course other modes of transport. The free buses I am aware of are being kindly organised and generously paid for by Councillor Lillian Seenoi-Barr and Mark H Durkan MLA, (both SDLP), Councillor Raymond Barr (Independent), a number of local businesses and individuals, the Hillsborough Action Group Liverpool, and the Magnet Young Adult Centre. The main speakers are Noah's mummy Fiona Donohoe and Noah's auntie Niamh. Speakers have been invited equally from all political parties, because cross party support is needed. The last update I had was that those who had accepted the invitation from Fiona and Niamh confirmed as attending did not at that time even include SF, who could therefore not in any accurate way be described as the main speaker.

I hope that reassures everyone and we can look forward to your enthusiastic support for this innocent child, his family and all children on Saturday. I suspect not, that there will be other excuses.

As a Protestant working class person from a loyalist estate
I am aware that people who would also describe themselves as you do are attending on Saturday with open hearts.
They have filthy hands in terms of killing children. You sup with the devil you need a long spoon as they say.
People could come on here and talk of Protestant, loyalist politicians and organisations in similar terms as you and another poster have done. They have not, not one single poster, and I hope they do not. The only 'devil' most people are thankfully concerning themselves with here is the 'devil' responsible for what happened to Noah and the 'devil' denying him justice and his mummy the truth. The 'devil' who wants this to happen to other children in the future. The 'devil' who will look the other way or help to cover this up, even if they were not actively involved.
Respectfully, it's a no from me.
Respectfully, unless you can come with an open heart for this child, his family and all children, that's fine.

People of all backgrounds and communities are uniting for this beautiful Belfast child and against the use of PII Certificates.

If you have one eye on the past, then you are wise. If you have both eyes on the past then you are blind.

Would be nice if you came out and said I shouldn't get slagged off for being autistic but I don't expect you can find it in yourself to do that. Seeing as I'm not from the right sort of groups.

I am aware of the affiliations of the supposedly independent councillor you mention as I am also aware of who the speakers were at the recent protests that were organised by and spoken to by Sinn Fein.

Others can do as they please. I've never said they can't I'm personally aware of people from my "home" estate (I no longer live there I am from there but no longer of there) who are not attending specifically due to the SF nature of recent protests. And that is, as I have said before, a shame.

I understand Autism very well. People with Autism are equally welcome on this thread. What is not welcome is the repeated attempts to derail the thread and post against the spirit of this thread and against the campaign for Noah - whoever these posts are coming from, people with autism or without.

To be fair to @Myshitisreal , they could have had no idea from this thread that you are autistic, @exnewwifeproblems

Exnewwife you really are not painting yourself in a good light here. What have you got to gain by constantly arguing and derailing the thread, you've already made your opinions quite clear.
Thank you. Agreed.

You really are very passive aggressive aren't you.

To be clear. Slurs about my social skills map to my autism.

To be further clear. I supported and still support Fiona in uncovering the truth of what happened to Noah. I do not and will never support the involvement of SFIRA.

To be further clear. I supported and still support Fiona in uncovering the truth of what happened to Noah.
Me too.
I do not and will never support the involvement of SFIRA.
Neither do I.

I intend to ignore SF involvement, travel independently, show solidarity for the people who matter most in this case, the Donohoe family.

Thank you @EmeraldShamrock1

Petition update: very pleased to say 323,752 people have signed now, and the number continues to climb. Please do sign and share if you can - link to the thread is in the OP.

How on earth would I know you're autistic? From one autistic to another, please kindly stop derailing the thread. Have your opinions, absolutely, but it's taking away from the efforts for Noah. That's the bottom line.

PLEASE NOTE; due to road works along A6 and M1, the bus will now leave Derry Guildhall Bus stop at 10.30am this Saturday - half an hour early.
Don't forget, you must pre-book your seat by email and have this confirmed by Lilian Seenoi-Barr - spaces are limited.

Bump!

Bump

Thank you @Myshitisreal