Remembering Veronica Guerin

Résumé du document

Had Hamlet been Irish, he would certainly have said that 'there is something rotten in the State of Ireland'. So would Veronica Guerin, an investigative journalist who believed in exposing the truth about 'drug barons' and crime in Ireland. She confronted ruthless gang members, and discovered the complexity of this situation riddled with corruption and violence. On June 26, 1996 she became the twenty-fourth journalist that year to die on duty. This heroine was killed because she knew too much, because she talked too much. Veronica is dead but her message is not. Her assassination caused shock and outrage in Ireland and prompted a period of change and introspection in a country which needed to be deeply revamped and overhauled.

Extraits

[...] Veronica Guerin was dead. Ironically enough, she had planned to adress a conference in London just a few days later on “Dying to Tell a Story: Journalists at Risk”. This crime brought about shock and sadness in the whole country. The Prime Minister John Bruton said that this was attack on democracy”. The Medias were also deeply upset by this loss and considered this murder as a “fundamental attack on the free press”. The pledged they would never be intimidated. [...]

[...] She was never asked to disclose her sources and her editor, Aengus Fanning, was very supportive. But given the threats she was confronted with, many people wondered why they did not pull her off the stories she was covering. The Sunday Independent editorial board was criticised for not protecting her. Why didn't they do anything to prevent her assassination? Here's the answer: Veronica was brave and resourceful, but she was no reckless crusader looking for fame. She was aware of the danger she exposed herself to. [...]

[...] Veronica had a child-like ignorance of danger said Emily O'Reilly in her book, The Life and Death of a Crime Reporter. Even if she doesn't outright criticise Guerin for putting her life and her family in danger, she launches the debate: what is the line between journalist and detective? Can a reporter fearlessly face potential criminals with no protection at all? Did Veronica cross the line? One thing is for sure, Veronica wasn't an ordinary journalist. She doubtless had unconventional and personal methods. [...]

[...] Moreover, this kind of retaliation a murder to silence a too talkative reporter, was unbelievable and hence unforseeable: journalists used to think they were insulated from any criminal reprisals. All this changed after Veronica Guerin's murder. Did Veronica die in vain? On the afternoon of June Veronica Guerin was in her car. She stopped at a traffic light at the junction of Boot Road and Naas Road. At the same moment, two men on a motorcycle drew up beside the car. [...]

[...] Large families became reputed for their criminal activities and gangs spread. The gardai and the legislative authorities failed to deal with this organised crime which made the new godfathers believe that they were untouchable. Not only did the police lack resources and staff, but political corruption also hindered their work. Ultimately there was no law or measures that enabled the authorities to seize drug profits: the drug empire was given a full leeway to spread across the country. A dangerous investigation Veronica Guerin started working as a journalist in 1990. [...]