Murder most foul
Even by the appalling standards we have unfortunately grown used to, Tuesday night's murder of 16-year-old Melanie McCarthy-McNamara was truly shocking. That a teenage girl with her whole life in front of her could be shot in cold blood plumbs new depths of depravity.
The Gardai must spare no effort to ensure that those responsible for this callous act are brought to justice swiftly. We also call on anyone with any information that might be of assistance to the investigation to contact the Gardai as quickly as possible.
Melanie's murder comes at a time when gardai have enjoyed considerable success in reducing the number of so-called "gangland" murders in Dublin and other major cities. The number of homicides recorded in the 12 months to the end of September 2011 fell by 15pc over the previous year.
Unfortunately, even one murder is too many.
While the Garda Siochana should be congratulated on the progress which they have made in dealing with this type of crime, more, much more remains to be done. We extend our deepest sympathies to Melanie's family on their tragic loss.
