The family of a 23-year-old Spanish woman who was killed after being struck by a vehicle in Dublin say they have returned home without answers about the circumstances surrounding her death.
Belen Arana Nuñez, from Trebujena in Cadiz province, died on May 17 after being hit by a vehicle while living and working in the Irish capital.
More than two weeks later, her family say Irish authorities have provided very little information about the fatal incident, leaving them struggling with uncertainty in addition to their grief.
Speaking to local media, family lawyer Paco Cabral criticised what he described as a lack of communication from Ireland’s national police force, the Garda Síochána.
‘Because there is no information, the imagination runs wild. It is additional suffering on top of the tragedy they are already enduring,’ he said.
According to the family, Belen’s parents travelled to Dublin after learning of her death and remained there until May 23.
Cabral said the only concrete information they received from investigators came the day before they returned to Spain, when police informed them that the collision occurred on a pedestrian crossing and involved a taxi.
The family say they have not been told whether there were witnesses, what investigators believe happened, or how long the inquiry is expected to take.
Belen had graduated in English and German Translation and Interpretation and had spent several years building a life in Ireland.
Friends and family said she had become increasingly successful in her career and regularly organised summer language camps in Dublin for young people from her hometown.
Her death sent shockwaves through Trebujena, where local authorities declared three days of official mourning.
One aspect of the case that has particularly troubled the family is the decision by Irish authorities to retain part of Belen’s remains during the cremation process, which took place before her family returned to Spain.
According to Cabral, such a measure suggests forensic investigations may still be ongoing, although the family say they have received no explanation as to why the remains were retained.
‘These circumstances create a great deal of doubt, uncertainty and anguish,’ the lawyer said.
He contrasted the situation with procedures in Spain, where families would typically have access to police reports or updates through the courts much earlier in an investigation.
‘We are talking about a fatal accident. When the family sees that no details are being provided, they don’t know what to think,’ he added.
The Garda investigation remains ongoing and no further information has been released publicly about the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
