Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 14 Dec 1995

Vol. 459 No. 8

Written Answers. - Disappearance of People.

Noel Treacy

Question:

12 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for Justice whether her Department and the Garda Síochána have eliminated the British serial killers, the late Frederick West and his convicted wife, Rose, from their inquiries into either missing girls or women in this country and/or similar elimination on cases where female corpses were found; the number of people both male and female, on missing person's lists in this country; the dates of their disappearance; the convictions, if any, imposed by any court in this country on either Frederick or Rose West at any time in the past; the sentences and/or fines which were imposed; the locations in which they were imposed; the amount involved; and if she will make a statement on these serious and complex matters. [18522/95]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

I am informed by the Garda authorities that it has not been established that either Frederick or Rose West were involved in any incidents involving the disappearance of persons in this jurisdiction. I am further informed that there is no record of a conviction for an indictable offence in this jurisdiction against either of them.

Records of convictions for non-indictable offences (such as traffic offences) are held at local level. To determine whether any such convictions have been recorded against either of these persons would involve the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of Garda time and resources. I am advised by the Garda authorities that such an exercise, if undertaken, would yield little information of significance.

An annual return of missing persons is included in the Annual Report of an Garda Síochána, copies of which are available in the Oireachtas Library. The 1994 report will be published and will show that 1,896 persons were reported missing in that year. The return will also show that the vast majority of persons reported missing are traced by the authorities. No particular significance is attached to the precise date in each year on which the person is reported missing and it is not therefore published. A gender breakdown of those reported missing is not included in the return either but I have asked the Garda authorities to consider including such a breakdown in all future returns.

While I have no doubt that the Deputy did not wish to cause any undue anxiety, I feel that linking the names of Frederick and Rose West to missing person statistics in this jurisdiction could become a source of totally unnecessary worry for the parents and friends of people — especially young people — who may be reported "missing". There is no evidence to link the Wests with any of the missing persons in question; the vast majority of those reported missing are in fact subsequently traced by the authorities.