'There's no case to meet, they are revulsed at the allegation they murdered a child. They are innocent'

Baby John probe pair released with a file going to DPP | Woman 'has had to run a gauntlet of photographers'

- MICHAEL O'TOOLE

THE solicitor for the couple arrested on suspicion of the murder of Baby John in Kerry today insists: "They're totally innocent."

And, speaking to the Irish Mirror following their release without charge last week, lawyer Padraig O'Connell said: "There is no case to meet.

Gardai declined to comment on Mr O'Connell's assertions last night.

Mr O'Connell said he would now welcome a quick decision by State prosecutors on whether his clients are to face any charges over the discovery of Baby John's lifeless body on a beach in Cahersiveen in April 1984 - a find that sparked the Kerry Babies scandal.

He also said he fully believed that the State prosecutors would exonerate his clients, which would mean they would not be charged with any offence.

Gardai released the pair late on Thursday and early on Friday from Castleisland Garda station and are now preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions, who will examine it and decide if anyone should be charged.

Sources have told us that it could be anything between six months to a year before such a decision is made but Mr O'Connell, who himself did not comment on any time frame, said that he wanted it sooner rather than later.

DIFFICULT

He said: "I believe it will be a considerable period before the DPP comes back.

"And in the meantime my clients are in a very difficult situation on a personal basis and I would welcome an early decision by the DPP as I believe it will totally exonerate my clients.

The pair, a man in his 60s and a woman in her 50s, were arrested by gardai in Co Kerry on Thursday on suspicion of the murder of Baby John, a five-day-old boy whose body had 28 stab wounds when it was found.