Murder of Ana Kriégel

Early life

Anastasia "Ana" Kriégel was born on 18 February 2004 in Novokuznetsk, Russia, and placed in an orphanage. In 2006 she was adopted by Geraldine Kriégel and her French-born husband Patric Kriégel and came to live in Ireland, where her parents encouraged her to keep her original given name and ties to Russian culture. She was described as a happy child through most of primary school despite health issues, including a tumour removed from her right ear that left her nearly deaf on that side, and sight problems. She struggled to make friends at secondary school, was suspended after painting a black eye onto herself — which her mother later said may have reflected inner pain — and experienced bullying, including messages of a sexual nature and comments about her height and adoption; she also created fake social media accounts to bully herself. She self-harmed on one occasion in 2017.

Disappearance

On 14 May 2018, Ana attended a counselling session, went home from school, changed out of her uniform, and walked to Leixlip town centre before returning home. A boy later referred to in reporting as Boy B called to the Kriégel home at 5:00 p.m., which her mother recalled as unusual because "nobody calls for Ana." Ana was last seen at 5:30 p.m. in St Catherine's Park.

Discovery and investigation

Ana's body was found on Thursday, 17 May 2018, in Glenwood House, a derelict 19th-century farmhouse in Coldblow, west of Lucan, where her clothes were found scattered. Her death was caused by blunt force injuries; bloodied pieces of wood were found at the scene, along with signs of sexual assault and blue Tescon building tape around her neck. Two 13-year-old boys, referred to in reporting as Boy A and Boy B under a lifelong court-ordered anonymity, came under suspicion. Both were charged with murder — the youngest people in the history of Ireland to face that charge — and Boy A was additionally charged with aggravated sexual assault. Their trial opened at the Central Criminal Court on 29 April 2019.

Verdict and sentencing

On 18 June 2019, after the jury deliberated for more than fourteen hours, Boy A and Boy B were found guilty of Ana's murder. Sentencing, initially adjourned to 15 July 2019, was pushed back again for psychological assessments and ultimately took place on 5 November 2019. Boy A was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, with review after twelve years, and a concurrent twelve years for aggravated sexual assault. Boy B was sentenced to fifteen years for murder, with review after eight years. Outside court, Ana's father, Patric, said "forever is not long enough." Both boys are to be offered new identities after release; posts identifying them later appeared on social media in violation of the anonymity order and were removed under a court injunction.

Aftermath

The boys were held at the Oberstown Detention Centre in North Dublin until 2022, when they were transferred to an adult prison upon turning 18; in May 2020, Boy A, then aged 15, was assaulted by fellow inmates and suffered minor injuries. Ana's funeral was held on 31 May 2018 at Newlands Cross Crematorium in Dublin, where mourners were asked to wear "sparkle and colour" in her memory and donations were directed to the Russian Irish Adoption Group. Her family later established a charity in her honour, Ana's Network of Adolescents (ANA), with the Russian Irish Adoption Group. Patric Kriégel died on 19 June 2022, four years after his daughter's murder.