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?

There was a shameful front page on the Sunday Independent last weekend, reprinted almost word for word by a couple of other 'newspapers'. I believe one poster even saw fit to post it on this thread for Noah, for reasons best known to themselves, but I can guess. It was attention-grabbing sensationalist headlines to sell newspapers and probably a damage limitation exercise, that is all. It had nothing new and purely repeated the police/PSNI line, together with attacking those concerned about Noah's case, including his mother and auntie. You have to wonder whether the police and Northern Ireland Office had been on the phone and what was given in return. All the attention on Noah's story because of the PII Certificate and the rally this Saturday must really be worrying some people. What could possibly be so very troubling about a mother's quest for the truth and for justice for her son?

Very good to see therefore an item in the Daily Mirror by Pat McArt:
Uneasy over Noah case

Support for Fiona's petition continues to climb, now with 324,107 signatures. Please do continue to sign and share as far and wide as you can, and don't forget to confirm your signature. Thank you.

Thank you @hedgehoglurker

A bus load of people are also travelling to Belfast from Fermanagh for Noah on Saturday:

I hope call goes well and many, many people turn up to support justice for Noah & his family.
Please let us know how it goes.

As in a pp, a bus is also available this Saturday from Fermanagh, for those wishing to attend the rally for Noah. It departs from Lisnaskea, Main Street at 11am. For those still needing to book a seat, please contact the organiser Lisa Smith as soon as possible - number in the image below:

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Thank you @RhannionKPSS and @hedgehoglurker 💙

From KRW Law Human Rights:
Noah Donohoe Inquest. PII application
We repose grave concerns re the application by Secretary of State for redactions of sensitive materials citing Public Interest Immunity

(Statement released by KRW Law today)

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.

I thought she gave a 5 page witness statement to Fionas solicitors?

this was where things started going strange - why the police didn’t search their property and seal it off is a mystery?

but then I was wondering if it was a paramilitary group involved why would these 5 drug users be mixed up with para groups

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

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Further statement today from KRW Law Human Rights:

'Noah Donohoe Inquest : PII (Comment on Procedure)

Aug 12, 2022
With regards to legal process, the applicant for the public interest immunity in this matter is the PSNI Chief Constable.
The procedure is that he must apply to the Secretary of State for a certificate of Public Interest Immunity in respect of material he considers to be sensitive. It is then a matter for the discretion of the Secretary of State to sign such a certificate. He has the option to refuse.
The sensitive materials in respect of which PII is sought, is then placed before the Coroner along with the Secretary of State’s Certificate. It is the Coroner who makes the decision as to whether or not an order for PII is granted.
The coroner has sight of the unredacted sensitive material. The next of kin are entitled to make representations in respect of the application but must do so absent sight of the unredacted materials.
The certificate signed by the Secretary of State dated 18 July 2022,
was served on our office yesterday at 1720, hence this clarification.
The application is listed for hearing on Thursday 1 September.'

Yesterday's statement from KRW Law attached as an image.

Thank you @hedgehoglurker

My understanding is that it was retracted @Quitelikeit , blaming 'memory problems'. The police/PSNI's behaviour and investigative conduct at that time around Maria Nolan and career criminal/drug user Daryl Paul - who had Noah's rucksack, laptop, named books and his North Face coat in his flat - is shockingly poor. No CCTV or forensics have been produced of course in relation to any of these narratives claimed by the PSNI. Noah's coat is particularly significant here. Where is it? How could Daryl Paul have 'found' it with the other items, when Noah is meant to have 'left' his coat in a completely different place? Noah was watched innocently leaving his home and passing on his bike that fateful day by people outside Maria Nolan's hostel - where Fiona had complained about criminal and anti-social activity going on outside. Fiona and Noah are distinctive. There are often surprising connections between people, whether through drug supply, use and dealing, other criminal activity, family, friend or community connections.

BBC: Noah Donohoe: Solicitors have 'grave concerns' over withheld files www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-62480051

ITV: Grave concerns expressed at Public Interest Immunity process in Noah Donohoe investigation
www.itv.com/news/utv/2022-08-11/grave-concerns-express-at-public-interest-immunity-process-in-noah-donohoe-case

The Irish News: ‘Grave concerns’ over redaction application in Noah Donohoe investigation
https://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2022/08/12/news/actions_of_sos_exacerbate_rather_than_allay_deeply_held_concerns_about_death_of_noah_donohoe_law_firm_says-2796809/

Armaghi: Independent Councillor calls for support at Noah Donohoe rally
www.armaghi.com/news/newry-news/councillor-calls-for-support-at-noah-donohoe-rally/179032

Ahead of Fiona's peaceful gathering in Belfast at City Hall at 1pm tomorrow, well done to the good and decent people of Newry who turned out at their Court House last night to show their support for the truth and justice. People from all walks of life and communities - Newry peacefully stood up for Noah and for all children:
twitter.com/margotmcd68/status/1557841361067458561/video/1

The Irish News today:

Together with volunteers, People Before Profit MLA and Councillors have been out leafletting about Fiona's rally in Belfast at City Hall at 1pm tomorrow, to reach some people not on social media.

Everybody is very welcome to help, with leafletting in their own area or putting posters up. However, if you'd like to join this group: REMINDER: LEAFLETTING FOR NOAH DONOHOE - MEETING AT NORTH QUEEN STREET ENTRANCE TO YORKGATE AT 5.30PM FRIDAY 12TH - TODAY. Everyone is welcome to help with leafletting.

Noah's mummy Fiona Donohoe actually got a leaflet through her letterbox! She said it is 'Probably the most heart warming leaflet I have ever had posted through my letterbox'. Here it is, together with an image of just some of the good people involved:

One cannot campaign for justice AND truth whilst standing with SF/PIRA who actively deny justice to others

Of course they can. Most supporters of the campaign do not care about the political involvement now, let alone in the past and those who do are able to put it aside to fight for what is about discovering what happened to an innocent child.

@DownNative, I have found your posts very offensive. You have gone on and on repeating the same thing. This thread is not about political parties and who's done what in the past. OP has been extremely patient and respectful in responding and asking you to take your political concerns elsewhere yet you just keep coming back, why?

Not everything happening in NI evolves around political divergence and history, at least I hope not. Here is a mum who has no interest in it but desperately wants the truth about her child's death as every mum in the world would. Why can't you respect this?

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