Cork dad criticizes justice system over killer's anonymity

The father of Cameron Blair, a young student murdered in 2020, is criticizing the justice system in Ireland for protecting criminals. Cameron was stabbed to death by a 17-year-old who received a life sentence. Recently, the Supreme Court ruled that the killer's identity will remain anonymous, which deeply upset Cameron's father, Noel Blair. Noel believes the system focuses too much on safeguarding offenders. He argues that parents should face consequences for their children’s crimes, similar to how they are punished if children skip school. He feels that the anonymity ruling is a missed opportunity for justice. Noel met with a former Justice Minister to discuss rising knife crime in Ireland and called for stricter laws. He proposed mandatory counseling for parents of juvenile offenders and suggested that first-time knife offenders face a one-year prison sentence with no excuses. Recent statistics show a 60% increase in knife seizures over the past decade. Despite recent changes to the law increasing the maximum penalty for knife possession, Noel points out that enforcement remains weak. He believes schools should notify parents of any knife-related incidents to ensure accountability. The Supreme Court will make a final decision on the anonymity of young offenders next week. Noel doubts the outcome will change anything significant. He continues to call for reforms to protect future victims from violence.