'Scared' Derry family cancel Buncrana vigil

The “peaceful vigil” due to be held outside Buncrana Garda station by the Justice for Rebecca Browne campaign has been cancelled.

Rebecca Browne (21) from Galliagh in Derry, lost her life when she was struck by a Garda vehicle on May 21, 2023 and killed at Ludden on the outskirts of Buncrana in Inishowen, County Donegal. 

The collision was referred to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC), which announced in December 2024 the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had informed it not to direct a prosecution in the case. 

February’s vigil was intended to highlight what the campaign described as the “failure of the authorities to properly update and inform the Browne family on all aspects of the Garda and Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) investigations” into Rebecca Browne’s death.

Speaking to The Derry News, Lynn Smith, Rebecca’s Browne’s mother, said the family felt they had no option but to cancel it because they were “scared” about what sort of policing plan An Garda Síochána would employ. 

“I don’t know what type of ‘policing plan’ they might put in place. What I do know is I saw it as threatening when I saw it being discussed in the [Justice Liaison] response to Cllr Frank McBrearty last week,” said Ms Smith.

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“I have to protect other people and think about their safety. I was afraid about what An Garda would enforce. We didn’t know what their ‘policing plan’ would have involved or where the police would have been coming from or how many guards might have been present.

“At the end of the day, that is the only response I have got from An Garda. Our family has received no apology for the death of our beautiful Rebecca, no condolences, nothing only the threat of a ‘policing plan’ being in force for a peaceful vigil.

“As a family, we are not the type of people to put anybody in danger or feel scared to even attend our vigil. I wouldn’t put anybody’s safety in jeopardy. I had to think about everybody,” said Lynn Smith.

Her voice breaking, Ms Smith reiterated that all her family wanted was the truth about Rebecca’s death.

“No family should have to go through what we have been going through since Rebecca’s death. No family should have to suffer the way we are suffering,” she added.

“We have been silenced from day one. We have had no communication from An Garda Síochána. It is outrageous to be honest with you - no response, no answers. 

“I begged for a year for my updates. I was told shortly after Rebecca’s death I would get an update every two weeks. I never got that. 

“And although we got An Garda permission on Tuesday for our peaceful vigil, I am not comfortable bringing people to Buncrana because the permission email did not explain what their ‘policing plan’ would involve. 

“Why did An Garda Síochána discuss a ‘policing plan’ in the Justice Liaison response to Cllr McBrearty? Why are they displaying such a lack of trust in the Justice for Rebecca Browne campaign? After all, our first gathering, at Ludden in December, had already proven to be peaceful. So, while An Garda Síochána approval of our peaceful vigil was welcome, once we discussed it as a family, we felt it raised more questions, more doubt, more worry, and we felt we had no option but to cancel it completely,” said Lynn Smith.

Donegal County councillor Frank McBrearty Jr who is politically representing the Browne family had been due to speak at the vigil.

Cllr McBrearty said he agreed with the family’s decision to cancel it. 

He added: “I fully understand how Rebecca Browne’s family feels and the fear they have of the uncertainty concerning what we now know was internal Garda commentary about the family; the Justice for Rebecca Browne campaign; and the peaceful vigil which the guards termed a ‘protest’. 

“The term ‘policing plan’ is clearly intimidatory for this ordinary Derry family who just want to know what happened to their beloved Rebecca. 

“It is obvious to me, the only way the Browne family is ever  going to receive justice and truth is by taking the legal route,” said Cllr McBrearty. 

It has also emerged, the Justice Liaison response to Cllr McBrearty on January 13, 2025, was forwarded to him in error by Gardaí personnel; he got a subsequent request for its “secure deletion”.

Justice Liaison described the response as an “email attachment” adding “under no circumstances should the contents of the attachment be copied or further circulated”.

On January 10, 2025, Cllr McBrearty had written to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris requesting a meeting for Rebecca Browne’s parents with the “the investigating officers appointed to investigate this unlawful death”;  he received the Justice Liaison response in reply.

As was reported in Monday’s Derry News, Cllr McBrearty said the language and tone of the Justice Liaison response as “sinister, disparaging and insensitive”.

He added: “As far as I am concerned, it is absolutely shocking that An Garda Síochána should send me a request to delete the contents of those emails, which show the Gardaí wrongdoing in the Rebecca Browne case and the handling of the investigation into Rebecca’s death.

“They were more concerned about ‘conspiracy theories’ and the Bloody Sunday march  - to commemorate one of the worst atrocities in the history of Ireland. I think the Garda Commissioner should come out now and apologise on behalf of the gardai force.

“Essentially, An Garda Síochána didn’t want the public to see how it was treating this family. 

“It looks to me as if An Garda Síochána is going to blame GSOC. GSOC has not handled this well. There are so many unanswered questions. Was Rebecca pronounced dead at the scene? Where was she actually pronounced dead? Was she taken away in an ambulance? Was her body left lying in the road? If so, for how long? The family doesn't know anything, hasn’t been told anything. 

“The only thing the family knows is that a marked patrol car knocked down their beautiful daughter.”