Life’s a misery we have to endure, mum of murdered Ana tells court
THE mother of murdered Irish schoolgirl Ana Kriegel has said the pain of living without her is “unbearable”.
Geraldine Kriegel said her 14-year-old daughter was “too good to be true” and that she embraced life and was kind to everyone.
Mrs Kriegel told the Central Criminal Court in Dublin Ana’s murder has left an emptiness in the lives of all who knew her.
Two 15-year-old boys, known as Boy A and Boy B, were found guilty in June of murdering Ana.
They are the youngest convicted murderers in the history of the Irish State.
Ana’s naked body was found in an abandoned farmhouse in Lucan, Co Dublin, in May 2018 after she had been reported missing by her parents.
Boy A was also convicted of
aggravated sexual assault. Both were granted lifelong anonymity due to their age.
The court heard how Boy A has accepted he caused the death of Ana and provided accounts to various professionals since his conviction in which he described causing injuries to Ana.
He described a series of actions including headlock, choke hold, kicking, hitting her with a stick and with a block which he either threw at her or hit off her head on three occasions.
Boy A maintains he did not sexually assault her and put forward another explanation as to how his semen got on her top, however the prosecuting barrister did not provide any of these details.
Mrs Kriegel told the court: “There is an emptiness in our lives.
“Life without Ana is no longer a life.
“It is a misery we must endure for the rest of our lives.”
She said that no one could suspect the evil that lay ahead for Ana or anticipate her murder and those who violated her.
She said that Ana wanted to live, but was not permitted to do so.
“Our lives have been destroyed,” she added.
“I cannot imagine the terror and pain she suffered. That will stay with us all our lives.
“At night we lay awake thinking about the fear she felt knowing she was going to be killed and the pain and the torture she went through.”
She said her daughter’s pure and innocent body was violated.
Ana, she added, was “just a little girl with so many hopes and dreams”.
Both boys remain in Oberstown Children Detention Campus.
Garda detective inspector Mark O’Neill, senior investigating officer, said that Boy B has maintained the position he gave to gardai in that he did not have any part in her death and that he ran away when he saw Boy A attacking her.
The court heard that there is a dispute as to whose idea it was to meet Ana, who decided Boy B would call for her, who decided to meet at the disused farmhouse, who brought what to Glenwood House, especially the tape, and how Ana’s clothing was removed.
There was also a dispute over who assaulted Ana and with what, who smashed her phone when it started to ring, who put tape on her neck, and whether there was previous discussions about Boy A saying he wanted to kill Ana, and how they came up with similar accounts after she went missing.
The paternal grandfather of Boy A told the court that he cannot imagine the devastation felt by the Kriegels.
He described Ana’s murder as a parents’ worst nightmare given the horrific circumstances of her death.
He said he would like to express his family’s sincerest regret and remorse.
The boys will be sentenced next Tuesday.