‘Suffering finally behind us’ says Hayes

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Joanne Hayes, the woman wrongly accused of murdering a baby more than 35 years ago, and her siblings have received an apology from the Garda Commissioner and the Minister of Justice and statements that all findings of wrongdoing made against them by the Court Kerry Babies were unfounded and incorrect.

The apology, presented to Judge Leonie Reynolds in Superior Court today and reiterated in 2018, is part of a settlement of damages actions brought by Ms. Hayes, her sister Kathleen, and brothers Michael and Edmund following their arrest by the gardaí in May. 1984.

Conleth Bradley SC, for the State, said she wanted to express her deep regret for the pain and stress caused to the Hayes family.

His actions for damages were against the Garda Commissioner, the Irish Minister of Justice and the Attorney General, which the court heard have been struck out.

As part of the settlement, the family also obtained statements from the court that any findings or irregularities made against them by the Court in the case, which took place between late 1984 and early 1985, were unfounded and incorrect.

The court also made a statement that his questioning, arrest, indictment and trial between April and October 1984 were unfounded and in violation of his constitutional rights.

Additionally, a separate claim for damages from Ms. Hayes’ daughter Yvonne McGuckin was also settled and removed, with no details of that settlement being disclosed in public hearing.

Ms. Hayes and her brothers Edmund, Kathleen and Michael Hayes had requested the formal declarations as part of a legal action against the State to vindicate the good name of their family.

Joanne Hayes was arrested during an investigation into the discovery of a baby’s body on a beach in County Kerry in 1984.

The then 25-year-old lived almost 75 kilometers from where the baby was found. She had recently given birth to a baby who had died and was buried on her farm.

Gardaí claimed that she was the mother of both babies and was charged with murder.

That charge was later dropped and the Kerry Babies Court was established.

But instead of focusing on the Garda investigation, the court subjected Ms Hayes to intense public scrutiny of her private life.

The family says the court report made a series of unfounded and speculative findings against them, accusing them of lying to Gardaí and trying to cover up the death of Joanne’s baby.

More than 30 years later, in 2018, then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and gardaí apologized to Ms Hayes after DNA tests showed that she could not have been the mother of the baby found on the beach.

The baby found on White Strand Beach near Cahersiveen was later named Baby John. He had been stabbed 28 times. No one has ever been charged with his murder.

Ms. Hayes, who buried her own son on her family’s farm in Abbeydorney without telling anyone, was wrongly charged with murder.

When the body of their own baby was found, detectives theorized that the babies were twins conceived by different parents.

After taking blood tests, the charges against him were eventually dropped.

Joanne Hayes’ attorney Pat Mann speaking out of court

Subsequently, Ms. Hayes’ attorney, Pat Mann, read a statement on behalf of Joanne Hayes thanking everyone who had supported her for the past 36 years.

He said he would like to particularly thank the people of Abbeydorney and the surrounding parishes and everyone in Ireland who sent letters of support and prayers to them.



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