Father of murdered film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier has died in Paris

The father of murdered French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier, Georges Bouniol, has died in Paris at the age of 98.

He died in hospital with his family by his bedside, following decades of seeking justice for his 39-year-old daughter.

The beaten body of Ms Toscan du Plantier was found on an isolated pathway near her holiday home at Toormore near Schull, Co Cork, two days before Christmas in 1996.

Her elderly parents, Georges and Marguerite Bouniol, often made an annual visit from Paris where they lived to west Cork to mark the anniversary of her murder.

They usually travelled to attend an anniversary mass for their daughter with their son Bertrand and Sophie’s son Pierre-Louis.

Mr Bouniol’s death comes days after the 28th anniversary of his daughter’s murder.

The main suspect in her murder, Ian Bailey, died in Cork in January earlier this year aged 66.

The British journalist was questioned twice by gardai investigating her death, but was never charged for the murder.

Mr Bailey has long denied any involvement in her death.

Mr Bailey, who lived at The Prairie in Schull, was convicted of murder in his absence by a French court in May 2019. The three-judge court imposed a 25-year sentence.

In October 2020, the High Court in Ireland rejected an attempt by French authorities to extradite him for the murder.

In September this year, Taoiseach Simon Harris said that a cold case review into her murder should be completed before any decision on an inquiry was made.

The Tanaiste Micheal Martin had also criticised the legal system’s handling of the case, saying Ireland failed to find and convict a murderer.