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29th August 2018
12:22pm BST
Jastine Valdez’s parents have publicly spoken of their heartbreak for the first time since her tragic murder in May.
The 24-year-old student was abducted by Mark Hennessy in Enniskerry on May 19, who then strangled and murdered her. Hennessy was later shot dead by Gardaí in Cherrywood Business Park.
Tess and Danny Valdez thanked the Irish people for their support throughout their horrific ordeal in a new interview with Miriam O’Callaghan on RTÉ Radio 1.
“Saying thank you to the Irish people is not enough” Tess Valdez tells @MiriamOCal of the kindness her family have received from the people of Ireland. #TodaySOR
— Today Sean O'Rourke (@TodaySOR) August 29, 2018
They said: "We are not angry at Ireland for what happened. Whatever was going on in his mind was only in his mind and it's not for us to blame Ireland, Ireland has been good to us."
Tess added that Hennessy’s death did not bring them any peace, explaining:
“We didn’t like that he was killed. It didn’t change anything. When we found out that he was killed it didn’t ease the pain at all.
"It didn’t matter, Jastine was gone.”
Jastine’s parents issued a statement through the Philippine Consulate in Dublin shortly after her death, thanking the Irish people for their 'support, compassion and sympathy during this tragic time’.
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