Courts / Dublin / Report

Innocent boy wrongly identified as Kriegel murderer, court told

Date
2019-06-20

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Lucan

County
Dublin

Summary

In a contempt of court hearing on 20 June 2019, Mr Justice Michael White addressed the wrongful online identification of an innocent boy as one of the convicted murderers of 14‑year‑old Ana Kriegel. The judge urged Gardaí to pursue those who shared the identities of the two boys, Boy A and Boy B, who were convicted of the murder and an aggravated sexual assault. Under the Children Act, it is an offence to identify minors, and the court upheld an injunction requiring Facebook and Twitter to remove any material that identified the boys. Lawyers for the boys expressed concerns about threats and the safety of their families. The judge emphasised the importance of respecting the law and the integrity of the trial process, noting that the Central Criminal Court is not the forum for broader social media responsibility.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Innocent boy wrongly identified as Kriegel murderer, court told. Procedural stage: trial

When:

14th May Incident
Friday July 5 Adjournment
2019-06-20 Publication

Why: " Brendan Grehan SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), told Mr Justice White that he had sought an injunction the previous day ordering the removal of anything identifying the boys without putting Facebook or Twitter on notice because the DPP was concerned that the images could go viral. Prosecution account reported by CNI