Twin sister of Mary Boyle says Garda review of Donegal girl’s case is ‘a sham’

The twin sister of missing Donegal schoolgirl Mary Boyle has claimed that a Garda Síochána "cold case" review into her sister's disappearance four decades ago is "a sham".

Co Donegal woman Ann Doherty said the inquiry, including a recent one-day search of lands in Cashelard, near Ballyshannon, was designed to "mislead the public and give an impression that the gardaí are taking the case seriously".

“It is my belief they are not. I believe that it is nothing more than a sham to delay justice further and an outrageous waste of public money,” Ms O’Doherty said.

Mary Boyle vanished near her home in 1977. In a statement yesterday, her twin said she did not believe gardaí want to get to the bottom of her missing sister’s case.

“It is my opinion that An Garda Síochána have no intention of prosecuting the man who sexually assaulted and murdered my six-year-old twin,” she said.

“Mary was my identical twin sister and I miss her desperately every day. I despair about the fact that she did not get to live her life.”