Saturday, April 26, 2008

Visitor stats. Thank you!














According to Google Analytics, in the past week or so our visitors have come from the countries above. We're especially grateful for the many visitors from the countries of the European Union!

Remember: killing two children is a crime in every country. A crime that shall not remain unpunished!

Thank you for your support, and visit often for the latest on this troubling case.

Edit Herczog's Written Question to the Commission


WRITTEN QUESTION P-2478/08
by Edit Herczog (PSE)
to the Commission

Subject: Legal certainty for European Union citizens

On 9 April 2000, Ciaran Tobin, an Irish citizen, caused a fatal accident in Hungary: travelling in excess of the permitted speed, he drove onto the pavement and knocked down two Hungarian children, who both died. The man left the country in the autumn of that year and has not returned since. A European arrest warrant was issued for him by the Hungarian authorities; however, this was finally overturned on appeal by the Irish court on the grounds that he had legally left Hungary. This case, which remains unresolved after 8 years, caused a great public outcry in Hungary, where an explanation of the present situation is still awaited. Does the Commission intend, in the light of these tragic events, to review Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA on the European arrest warrant and the surrender procedures between Member States ? Does the Commission intend, in the interest of legal certainty for Community citizens, to monitor the implementation of the European arrest warrant and analyse the experience of its use so far?

What the Independent says






Click on the title to read about the Ciaran Tobin case in the Independent.

Hungary finally to crack down on speeders (?)

Irish newsgroup speaks up

Daddy speeding "accidentally"



"It was an accident", some may say. Right. Let's see. According to witnesses, Ciaran Tobin had been, at the time of the "accident", speeding recklessly for a good 20-30 minutes coming back from Visegrád to Budapest, in bumper-to-bumper traffic, on a two-lane road, through mostly residential neighbourhoods, enjoying his fast car, overtaking constantly using both the left lane and the shoulder (!) on the right. All the while, his pregnant wife sitting next to him.

When inside the picturesque village of Leányfalu, at a bus stop outside the library, he ventured out in the left lane again, one too many times. Bad judgement of speed, time and space and an upcoming car. And his own abilities.

According to court papers the car was moving at 70-85 km/h at the time of the impact. After hitting and knocking down two traffic signs, one a speed limit, the other one a pedestrian's crossing, that is.

Marci was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, Petra sitting in a pram, waiting to cross on the Zebra. They were thrown away some 10 meters, and the Volvo only stopped on hitting a bus.

Parents, who lived nearby, were called on the phone, and ran to the scene. Paramedics were helpless. Marci and Petra died instantly. They were pronounced dead by the doctor of the helicopter ambulance.

According to court papers, although Tobin variably claimed a technical failure of the car, experts established there was nothing wrong with the Volvo S40.

Various news sources and the father's post on the index.hu forum on April 12, 2000, three days after the accident, were used for this post.

Protest at the Hungarian Parliament


Justice Minister meets Marci and Petra's parents. Protest at the
Parliament
during visit of Irish Minister. Minister Brian Lenihan meets parents.

Ciaran Tobin on TV2


Gergely Papp of TV2
delivers the European Arrest Warrant to Ciaran Tobin. Click here to see for yourself. Watch the full program tomorrow on Budapest's TV2.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

15 minutes of fame. Or more.

TV2's team visited Ciaran Tobin in his home. View the result this Sunday, on TV2 of Budapest. Read this week's HVG, page 20.

Marci and Petra, this is for you

A day in the life of Ciaran Tobin


For years, Marci and Petra's parents were not allowed to view the files on the death of their children by Hungarian authorities despite their repeated requests. For months, Tobin lived happily in Hungary as if nothing had happened, and was never arrested. Then, in the fall of 2000, he put down a HUF 500,000 security (less than EUR 2,000), and is given back his passport, which he then puts to good use in late November, 2000.

At the time, there was no extradition treaty between Ireland and Hungary (that doesn't mean what they have today is of any use), something Tobin's star-studded defense counsels (including would-be Justice Minister Dr. Péter Bárándy) probably knew (part of his job, no problem there), and the Prosecutor's Office and
then-Judge-now-lawyer Ficzere Mária Ms. Berecz
obviously didn't. (Although it's public information now) as it was then.

His employer at the time, Irish Life, as well as Jim Flavin, Ambassador of the Republic of Ireland to Hungary at the time campaigned for him to be allowed to leave the country "for a short family trip", in his letter dated September 18, 2000. The next day, the Pest County Chief Prosecutor wrote a recommendation to the Budakörnyéki Court to approve Tobin's request to leave the country. The same day, the Court gives its blessing: Tobin is given his passport for the above mentioned sum. We may note that the institution of 'security' is not used in Hungary for crimes punishable with up to five years in prison.

As all information on this site, information in this post is from here.

The second post of Marci and Petra's father, 04.12.2000


It says it all (translation to follow):
"Köszönöm, hogy sokan kifejeztétek a részvéteteket, ismeretlentől-ismerőstől jól esik. Azért azt fontos tudnotok, hogy nem azzal a szándékkel írtam le az eseményeket (nem volt könnyű), hogy magamat sajnáltassam. Inkább azt szeretném elérni, hogy néhányunk fejében megfoganjon a gondolat, hogy nem úgy vezetünk, nem úgy élünk, ahogy kellene. A másik célom, hogy találjak olyanokat, akik akarnak és tudnak tenni valamit azért, hogy ne történjen meg ugyanez máskor, máshol. Az eredményekről majd hamarosan írok."

April 9, 2000

Three days after the death of his children, Bence Zoltai, the father of Marci and Petra, opened a forum on index.hu. This is the opening post (translation will follow, but until then, just click on the youtube kid with the yellow shirt on the right, that'll give you a pretty good idea):

"Biztosan sokan láttátok a vasárnapi leányfalui baleset képeit a TV-ben. Én a két elütött gyerek apja vagyok, és el szeretném mondani nektek, hogyan történt minden. Vasárnap délután mindig nagy a forgalom a 11-es úton Pest felé, jönnek haza az emberek a Dunakanyarból. Most is tele volt az út. A gyerekek nagymamája és nagynénije a Dunapartra indultak sétálni Marcival és Petrával. Marci 4 és fél éves volt, nagyon okos kisfiú, tele huncutsággal. Külön kis világot épített fel magának élénk fantáziájában: az utóbbi időben azt játszotta, hogy ő griffmadár, farsangra is griff-jelmezt készítettünk neki az oviba. Petra másfél éves volt, kedvességével, és azzal, ahogy odabújt az emberhez, mindenkit levett a lábáról. Már totyogva jött-ment ő is, mindenre fel akart mászni, és követte Marcit mindenhová a kertben, a lakásban. Nagyon szerették egymást, Petra minden reggel hamarabb ébredt Marcinál; amint kivettük az ágyból, tekert Marci mellé. Mindkét gyerekünk nehezen jött össze, nem csoda, hogy aztán egész életünk róluk szólt. Nap mint nap láttuk, milyen boldogak, milyen jó helyre születtek. A főúthoz leérve a két felnőtt megállt egy zebránál, nem akartak addig átmenni, amíg a zebra után közvetlenül álló busz el nem megy, hiszen nem láthatták a jobbról jövő autókat. Balról, mint már írtam, folyamatos volt a kocsisor, a busz miatt lassítottak, és 20-30-cal haladva kerülgették ki. Eközben Visegrád felől nagyon gyorsan jött egy Volvó, amit egy 30 körüli ír vezetett. (Hátul egy nő és gyerekülésben egy kisgyerek ültek.) Egyik arrajáró elmesélte, hogy már legalább 1 km-en át előzgette a kocsisort, ha jöttek szembe, be-bevágódott egy résbe. Közeledve a buszhoz látta, hogy nem tud továbbmenni, és talált egy rést két kocsi között. Ugyanazzal a lendülettel azonban továbbvágódott jobbra, a járda felé. A járda alig pár centi magas ott, felszaladt rá, kidöntött egy közlekedési táblát, 20-30 méter után átment egy kereszteződésen, ami már közvetlen a zebra és a buszmegálló előtt van, és kidöntött még egy táblát. A gyerekek a járda közepén voltak, Marci a kocsi felől, Petra babakocsiban beszíjazva mellette. A felnőttek a járda melletti alacsony kőfal tövében vártak, a nagymama fogta a babakocsit. A száguldó autót nem is vették észre. A Volvó elütötte a gyerekeket, akik vagy tíz métert repültek. Petra kirepült a babakocsiból. Mindketten azonnal meghaltak. Az autó még végigszántott a busz belső oldalát, majd az ütközéstől és a kivágódott gumik miatti defekt hatására megállt. A sofőr a defekttel és azzal védekezett, hogy véletlenül fék helyett gázt nyomott. (A sofőr által mondottakat csak közvetve hallottam.) Minket pár perc múlva hívtak telefonon, nagyon gyorsan odaértünk. A mentősők már ott voltak, próbálták a két gyereket újraéleszteni. Mindent megtettek, nem tudhatták, hogy szinte mindenük megsérült, és már nem volt tovább. A halált a kiérkező helikopteres mentő orvosa állapította meg. Életünk értelme, két kis apróság ott volt a karjainkban, és semmit nem tehettünk értük."

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

The Luck of the Irish


"If you had the luck of the Irish
You'd be sorry and wish you were dead...
A land full of beauty and wonder
Was raped by the uhm... foriegn brigands!"

What a beautiful song... But now it seems European Justice has been raped as well.

From the Irish Times

Hungary issues second arrest warrant ; March 29, 2006

The Hungarian authorities have sent a second extradition warrant for a Co Meath man whose extradition to Hungary is being sought for him to serve a three-year sentence imposed there for negligent driving causing the death of two children. Ciarán Tobin (41), Cairn Manor, Ratoath, Co Meath, was convicted in his absence by a Hungarian court in 2002 of negligent driving causing the deaths of a five-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl in Budapest in April 2000. A three-year sentence was imposed. Mr Tobin, a father-of-two and a senior manager with Irish Life plc, was arrested at his home last January on foot of a European arrest warrant issued by the Budapest authorities. At the time of the alleged offence, he had been working for Irish Life in Budapest for three years.The High Court was told yesterday that a second extradition warrant had arrived from the Hungarian authorities for the same offence. There was no explanation from the Hungarians as to why the second warrant was issued, the court heard.Mr Justice Michael Peart said he would not endorse the second warrant until he was given clarification as to why it was issued.Mr Tobin's counsel, David Keane, said the action of the Hungarian authorities could give rise to grave concern for his client. Mr Justice Peart adjourned the hearing to April 25th but gave counsel for the Minister for Justice liberty to re-enter the case if an issue arose. Mr Tobin has been freed on bail on his own bond of EUR 3,000 and a surety of EUR 6,000, and has been ordered to surrender his passport and to sign on three times a week at Ashbourne Garda station.
Copyright 2006 The Irish TimesAll Rights Reserved The Irish Times

Monday, April 21, 2008

What is an EAW?

The Republic of Hungary has issued a European Arrest Warrant against Ciaran Tobin. It is valid, according to law, until 2012.

The only country in the EU that ignores that EAW is Ireland, although it seems that their decision is based on a linguistic technicality, and Ireland agrees, too, that he did commit the crime. Ireland did not question the 3-year sentence that was passed by the Hungarian Courts.

This means if Ciaran Tobin sets foot anywhere in the European Union outside of Ireland, and all other countries, for that matter, that respect EU law, he must be arrested for causing the deaths of Marci and Petra Zoltai.

News Timeline


Sunday, April 20, 2008

Közlemény (translation to follow)


Az "Igazságot Marcinak és Petrának Alapítvány" nemzeti és európai fontosságú ügynek, minden magyar állampolgár, minden európai polgár, minden szülő és minden érző ember ügyének tekinti az ötéves Zoltai Marci és a kétéves Zoltai Petra, két gyönyörű kisgyermek ellen 2000. április 9-én elkövetett bűntettet.

Elvárja, hogy a Magyar Köztársaság és az Ír Köztársaság és az Európai Unió hatóságai megtalálják a módját annak, hogy ez az égbekiáltó bűn ne maradjon bűntetlenül.

Az Alapítvány minden rendelkezésre álló eszközével és a közvélemény erejével elő kívánja segíteni a hatóságoknak a Ciaran Tobin-ügyben végzett munkáját.

Nem túlzás azt állítani, hogy az ügy kapcsán az egész Európai Unió megítélése a tét. Bűn nem maradhat bűntetlen csak azért, mert a bűnelkövető az Unió egyik városából a másikba költözött.

Segítse munkánkat azzal, hogy mindenki figyelmét felhívja Marci és Petra, a Magyar Köztársaság két ifjúszívű polgárának történetére és erre a weboldalra. Felnőttként, szülőként, magyarként, európaiként ennyivel, ennyivel tartozunk nekik.

Köszönettel,

Az Alapítvány

Hungarian Justice Minister's Letter to EU Vice President















Ezúton szeretnénk megköszönni Dr. Draskovics Tibor, Igazságügyi és Rendészeti Miniszternek, hogy a legmagasabb fórumok szintjére emelte az ügyet.

"The Republic of Hungary has joined the European Union for, among other reasons, the assurance that a crime would always be followed by due punishment. I find it extremely regrettable that one of the most important principles of the European Union, the principle of the area of freedom, security and justice, has been seriously injured in the case of Ireland, on account of the above mentioned unsolved affair."

Dr. Tibor Draskovics, Minister of Justice and Law Enforcement, Republic of Hungary


Read the full letter:

To Mr. Franco Frattini
Vice-President of the Furopean Commission responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security

Brussels

Dear Mr. Vice-President,

Allow me to draw your attention to a tragic event affecting the cooperation between two member states of the European Union; a case which due to its unsolved nature has attracted much public attention to date in Hungary.

On the 9th April 2000 Francis Ciaran Tobin Irish national was driving his car in the inhabited area of a settlement near Budapest, significantly exceeding the permitted speed limit, when he drove onto the pavement hitting two siblings, aged 5 and 2, who died immediately.

The Hungarian courts having proceeded in the case found Tobin guilty of having caused road accident by negligent driving resulting in death, and sentenced him to three years imprisonment. Since the sentenced person had returned to his native country while the proceedings had still been pending, the Hungarian authorities attempted to serve on him the injunction inviting him to start to serve his due punishment. The service of the injunction, however, was rejected by the Irish Ministry of Justice, Equality and Law Reform referring to domestic legal obstacles.

The Hungarian authorities have firmly and resolutely demanded Tobin's extradition before all possible fora and in all possible ways, for example by initiating his international search. Despite these efforts, the Irish courts - holding that Tobin's leave from Hungary was not to be regarded as flee from the law - repeatedly hindered that Tobin serve his due punishment either in Hungary or in the Republic of Ireland.

In my opinion a person who fails to comply with a sentence imposed on him as a final court decision obviously flees from the execution of the sentence. Moreover, not even the provisions of the framework decision on the European arrest warrant can be construed as if they were applicable only to sentenced persons having fled.

When the identity of the person having caused the death of two innocent children is known and as a result of a formal criminal procedure due punishment was meted out on him in a final court decision, no situation barring the execution of the imposed sentence is acceptable.

On the 28 March 2008 I met the Irish Minister of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and I have made it clear, that it is unacceptable for me to leave a crime unpunished. The Minister accepted this principle and understood that in our view, in the instant case, this principle has been violated by the conduct of the Irish authorities, which is equally unacceptable for me, for the Government of the Republic of Hungary, and for our citizens.

The Republic of Hungary has joined the European Union for, among other reasons, the assurance that a crime would always be followed by due punishment. I find it extremely regrettable that one of the most important principles of the European Union, the principle of the area of freedom, security and justice, has been seriously injured in case of Ireland, on account of the above mentioned unsolved affair.

It is capable to fundamentally undermine the European citizen's faith in the European Union, if a perpetrator sentenced in one member state by a final decision can evade the execution of his due punishment in another member state.

Hereby I would like to indicate that we insist on the European Union taking the most definite action in order to ensure that the speed-limit exceeder having caused the children's death and having thereby caused deep sorrow not only to the children's family but also to the whole nation, receives his due punishment.

Please be so kind as to examine what measures the European Commission can take in this both legally and morally unacceptable case, in order to ensure that Francis Ciaran Tobin starts serving his due sentence and that no similar cases will occur in the future.

Dear Mr. Vice-President, allow me to take the opportunity to express the assurances of my highest consideration.


Budapest, 16 April 2008

Notice to Hungarian Authorities

Urgent Notice to all Hungarian officials who write European Arrest Warrants on a daily basis:

You can write your EAWs in Hungarian. It is one of the official languages of the European Union.

Thank you.

Killer linguistics


Perhaps the English of the Hungarian official who wrote the European Arrest Warrant was less than perfect. Perhaps "flee" was the wrong word to use on the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) issued by the Republic of Hungary for Ciaran Tobin.

Or perhaps Mr Justice Michael Peart who doesn't spend too much of his time extraditing people who commit crime against children, knows English better than the Oxford Dictionary.

Because that volume (as well as the American versions of it) states that "flee" can be an intransitive verb simply meaning to "disappear quickly".

Hungarian officials are now no doubt brushing up their English on their EAWs. Still, Mr. Justice Michael Peart should have just stuck to the facts:

Ciaran Tobin killed Marci and Petra Zoltai, was convicted, but never served his time. Not yet, that is. The two children remain dead, the killer remains free.

Exactly which part of that English is not clear, Mr. Justice Peart?