Courts / Ireland / Report

Media barred from naming mother who smothered child

Summary

A woman was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the High Court of murdering her three-year-old daughter at their family home in County Mayo. The media remain barred from identifying either the mother or the deceased child following a judgment by Ms Justice Carmel Stewart. The judge upheld reporting restrictions initially imposed under Section 252 of the Children Act 2001, which protects the anonymity of child victims. Media representatives had sought to overturn the ban, arguing the provision applied only to living children and that reporting restrictions were unnecessary given the child was deceased. The court rejected this submission, finding that the legislation contained no such distinction and that murder charges involving children warranted continued anonymity protections. The judge ruled that the restriction constituted appropriate application of child protection law rather than an excessive limitation on press freedom. The unnamed accused was found guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Media barred from naming mother who smothered child. Charges or matters: the murder of his six-month-old son Joshua at his home in Co Mayo in 2013 and given a mandatory life sentence. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty

When:

• 2019-10-23 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

Read the original CNI report