‘Where is Jean?’ – concerned sister asks

Four-year anniversary of missing Cavan woman

Last Saturday (July 13) marked the four year anniversary of the disappearance of Munterconnaught woman Jean Tighe.

She was last seen in Parede, a Portuguese holiday resort, on July 13, 2020.

She was 38 years old when she went missing and had been living in Portugal for several months.

Her sister Leona Tighe spoke to The Anglo-Celt about the frustrating process of trying to engage with the Portugese police and the Irish government four years on.

“We’ve no update, we’re no further on,” she reported.

“The Portugese police cannot tell us what they think happened to Jean.”

The family are currently pushing for the Portugese police to obtain Jean’s bank account records and her social media accounts, which they believe could lead them closer to finding Jean.

They also want her DNA to be distributed to all neighbouring countries.

“We’ve no accurate confirmation about Jean’s social media footprint.

“I want to get Jean’s DNA to the countries themselves and apparently the gardaí or the Portugese police make that request and that’s what we’re hoping for now,” outlined Leona.

The family feel “very disappointed and very upset” with the Portugese police and the Irish authorities.

“It’s not good enough, I don’t see how the Portugese and the authorities here are saying they’re doing everything that’s possible when these tasks remain outstanding and have done for the last four years,” said Leona, exasperation clear in her voice.

“We’re not qualified detectives but how do you know what’s going on when you don’t even have somebody’s social media accounts and you don’t even have their bank accounts?

“I don’t believe that proper investigation has ever taken place, we have never seen the very first missing person's report compiled by the police.”

The police said they could not give out the report because they didn’t have it.

“They said that they made contact with the gardaí in Dublin, but the gardaí in Dublin said that no contact was ever made,” said Leona.

The family would love to know what verbal accounts were given on the day the police visited Jean's hostel, where staff raised the alarm when she did not return. She had booked a flight from Lisbon to Dublin for July 15, however disappeared two days before.

On a solo travel trip, Leona has tried to meet the people Jean was staying with in the hostel there.

“I’ve offered to meet them several times and speak to them, nobody would speak to me.”

She also wants to speak with the local police who initially went to the hostel.

“I want to know, what did you do, what did you see, what were you told?

“We’ve been very much so left in the dark.

“It’s been very tough to deal with.

“We're stonewalled for information and we really hope that Simon Harris as the new Taoiseach is a man of his word and will pursue this, will pursue the Portugese authorities and help us get to the bottom of this.

“Where is Jean?” she asked.

The Munterconnaught woman praised the work of Fianna Fáil TD Brendan Smith, who has described the investigation into the missing woman as totally inadequate.

The Cavan-Monaghan TD, who is friends of the Tighe family, told the Dáil the family are distraught by her disappearance.

Despite repeated efforts from Irish authorities, it took three years before her name was formally added to a missing persons' database in Portugal.

“Very understandably, Jean's loving family are distraught and have been at their wits' end over her disappearance.

“Those concerns are shared by their many friends in the community in Cavan and neighbouring areas,” Deputy Smith said.

“To put it mildly, the investigation into Jean's disappearance has been totally inadequate.

It is simply just not good enough.”

Deputy Smith has raised the issue repeatedly with the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Taoiseach.

As Taoiseach, Deputy Varadkar raised the case directly with his Portuguese counterpart.

“The Tighe family has got no response whatsoever as to why the Portuguese police authorities did not use modern investigative and search tools to trace Jean,” said Deputy Smith.

“The family is very patiently awaiting results but, sadly, they have had no substantive updates from any authorities. The Government and our authorities must be robust and demanding in their ongoing contact with the Portuguese authorities to get an update on what has been done and what has not.”

Taoiseach Simon Harris in response told Deputy Smith he understood that Portuguese police have been investigating Jean’s disappearance but that sadly no strong leads have materialised to date.

“A member of An Garda Síochána in Portugal, the Irish Embassy in Lisbon and the ambassador have engaged with Portuguese police a number of times,” the Taoiseach said.

“The Tighe family has also been working with a family liaison officer.

In August of last year, An Garda Síochána and the Portuguese police met via video conference and Ms Tighe's photo and profile was added to the Portuguese police's missing persons website.

“My predecessor raised the matter with the then Prime Minister of Portugal.

I will now directly seek an update myself.

I say to the Tighe family that I am very happy to raise the matter with my counterpart in Portugal and to come back to Deputy Smith directly.”

Asked for an update on the investigation, a Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson said: “The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Ireland, Portugal, is aware of this case and is providing ongoing consular assistance to the family. As with all consular cases, a dedicated case officer has been assigned and remains in contact with the family.

“While the responsibility for investigations into missing persons lies with the relevant policing authority, the Department and the Embassy of Ireland, Portugal, will continue to provide consular assistance to the family.

“The Department does not comment on the details of individual consular cases.”