The families of two 19-yearold Chinese students murdered in Dublin last March are demanding compensation from the Government for their loss.
The mothers of Feng Yue and his girlfriend, Liu Quing, killed in their apartment in Blackhall Square off North King Street, are also warning other Chinese students to think twice before travelling to Ireland to learn English.
They are critical of the Garda for lack of information in the case. A Chinese national has been charged with the two murders. The mothers, who spoke to The Irish Times from Shenyang in north-east China, said they were still at a loss as to why Yue and Quing were murdered.
"Six months on we are none the wiser. We just don't know why this tragedy has happened. And we are getting no information from the police," Quing's mother, Song Xiumei, said.
"The Irish Government should give compensation. They have some responsibility to take good care of them, their security and safety. They were special people, our only children."
The family say they have written to the Garda authorities asking for compensation and protesting at the lack of information on the case.
They are also anxious to know how thousands of dollars, which they thought were in their children's account two weeks before the murder, were gone when they checked afterwards. A Garda spokesman said a book of evidence in the case was being prepared and it could be a year before the case came to trial. He also said the Garda would try to keep the family abreast of all developments.
"The problem is that a man has been charged, and there will be a period of time now when the family think nothing is happening. But there is a lot happening preparing the case in the background," he added.
The students were strangled and their bedroom set on fire in the apartment they shared. Their bodies were discovered on March 14th.
They had arrived in Ireland in spring 2000 to study English in language schools in Dublin city centre.
According to both families, the couple were model children and excellent students.
Yue's uncle said he would not advise Chinese students to travel to Ireland to learn English until the full facts of this case were known. "We have great respect for Irish people and your country, but you can understand how we feel. My daughter was due to go to Ireland to learn English in April and had her visa but after this she cancelled her plan."