Arlene Arkinson family vow to continue fight for public inquiry into school girl's murder
The family of Arlene Arkinson have vowed to never give up searching for her.
The Co Tyrone schoolgirl went missing in August 1994 after a night out in Donegal.
Her body has never been found, despite extensive searches.
Convicted child killer Robert Howard was found responsible, on the balance of probabilities, for the death of the 15-year-old following an inquest in 2021.
He had been out on bail at the time of Miss Arkinson’s disappearance and was the last person seen with the teenager.
Howard, originally from Co Laois, had been charged with her murder in 2002, but acquitted in 2005.
He died in prison custody in England in 2015 while serving a life sentence for the rape and murder of 14-year-old Hannah Williams from London.
“It's been very difficult for the family and for us to keep fighting and fighting for Arlene because we want to give Arlene a decent Christian burial along with her family,” her sister Kathleen told UTV.
“We will never give up hope fighting for Arlene and 30 years is a long, long time.”
Stormont Justice Minister Naomi Long says she took the decision not to call a public inquiry into the case after concluding there were not sufficient grounds.
“Having met with the Arkinson family, I fully appreciate that the past 30 years have been deeply traumatic as they have continued to grieve and search for answers on behalf of Arlene,” she said.
“My decision not to establish a public inquiry was taken after very careful consideration of everything that had been put before me both verbally and in writing by the Arkinson family and by their legal representative.
“I also took account of the coroner’s detailed inquest findings, the Police Ombudsman report into the handling of the police investigation into Arlene’s disappearance, and the significant changes to police missing person policies.
“In weighing up all of the relevant factors it was my conclusion that there were not sufficient grounds for a public inquiry into this tragic case.”
However, a former Gardai detective who was national co-ordinator for a task force setup to investigate the disappearance of six women in the Republic of Ireland feels a public inquiry is needed.
“I can't say for definite that there was collusion or that he was involved with security forces,” said Alan Bailey.
“But what he can say is that there does appear to be a case to answer in relation to how Howard was able to wander the streets and the land of Ireland, England, Scotland during a time when his fellow Irishman would have had huge difficulty.
“He seems to have been able to move with impunity from one jurisdiction to the next.
“I do believe there are serious questions to answer in the manner in which he was dealt with by certain authorities.
“A public inquiry is the only way forward and I think Arlene’s family deserve it at this stage. The justice system has failed them both in our jurisdiction and the north.”
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