The woman claiming to be the mother of a baby girl who was buried in Glasnevin cemetery 33 years ago after she was found stabbed to death in south Dublin has called on the Minster for Justice to assist in investigating the infant's death.
Cynthia Owen was reacting yesterday to Minster for Justice Michael McDowell's rejection of a request by the Dublin County Coroner to exhume the remains of the baby girl.
The inquest into the baby's death was reopened last September after legal representations were made on behalf of Cynthia Owen, the woman who came forward 11 years ago claiming to be the mother of the baby girl, Noleen.
Ms Owen has claimed the baby was one of two she gave birth to at a young age as a result of sexual abuse during the 1970s when she was living in Dalkey, in south Dublin.
She has claimed the other infant was buried in the back garden of her family home but a Garda search last year did not uncover any remains.
Mr McDowell rejected the request on the grounds that "what would be involved in this instance would amount to a mass exhumation of infant remains, on a scale never contemplated or anticipated under the 1962 Act".
Ms Owen said she might consider seeking a judicial review of the Minister's decision but this was unlikely, as it would cause great distress to others. "I have therefore instructed my legal team that unless circumstances change, not to institute judicial review proceedings but instead to press ahead in my search for justice.
"I am now calling on the Minster to set out in what way he will assist me in obtaining answers to the many questions I and my legal team have been raising for quite some time.
"Ultimately, I am a woman and a mother, still grieving over the deaths of my two children since the 1970s."
Ms Owen also criticised the Garda investigation into the infant's death. "If the Garda authorities investigated this properly or at all in 1973 and, for example, carried out blood tests, we would not be going through this now."
She also criticised Glasnevin cemetery saying it "should have buried the baby in a separate plot, in the knowledge that further inquiries would be likely due to 40 stab wounds".
In response, George McCullough, Dublin Cemeteries Committee chief executive, the voluntary, independent body that owns and operates the cemetery, said: "DNA was not considered back then."
He added that the murdered baby girl was the only infant buried at the Little Angels plot who was killed. Some 50,000 babies are buried there.
Questions by reporters about his decision, Mr McDowell said he was "acutely aware" that the woman on whose behalf the request was made had "particular issues" she wanted addressed.
"But I have to look at the public point of view and to uphold the rights of others as well," he said.