Member's statement: Lisa Dorrian
Member's statement by Mr Stephen Dunne on .
- MLA
- Mr Stephen Dunne
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 24 February 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Lisa Dorrian
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4813424
Read the official Assembly record
Text
As has been said, this week marks the 20th anniversary — we are just a few days short — of the disappearance of Lisa Dorrian, aged just 25 years old, from a caravan park in Ballyhalbert in County Down on 28 February 2005. Lisa is irreplaceable. Her disappearance has left a hole in the lives of her loving family and friends and continues to cast a dark shadow across our local community to this day, as, tragically, her body has never been found. For two decades, Lisa's family have endured unimaginable pain and heartache, yet, throughout that time, they have shown extraordinary courage, resilience and determination in their quest for justice. They need to be commended. The campaign to find answers has not only kept Lisa's memory alive but shone a light on unresolved cases across Northern Ireland. I commend the family for their bravery and resilience in continuing to search for truth and justice and to find Lisa. Sadly, Lisa's mum, Patricia, passed away with a broken heart in December 2015. However, the courage and commitment of Lisa's father, John, and her sisters Joanne, Michelle and Ciara over the years have given hope to so many other families in similar heartbreaking situations across Northern Ireland and, indeed, beyond. Having met members of Lisa's family on many occasions, I know that their desire for truth and justice continues and is just as strong today as it was 20 years ago. No family should ever have to face the additional heartbreak of not being able to bury a lost loved one. If there is anything that we, as Members of the House, can do to offer hope to families in such a position, we have a moral responsibility to do it.
The "Let's Find Lisa" campaign has strongly advocated the introduction to Northern Ireland of what, in memory of Charlotte Murray, has become known as Charlotte's law. The Justice Minister has confirmed that she intends to bring forward that proposal in this mandate as part of a wider sentencing Bill, and I encourage her to continue to progress that. I will take the opportunity, as we mark this 20th anniversary, to once again urge anyone with any information that might help this grieving family 20 years on to bring it to the PSNI immediately. It is never too late to do the right thing: let's find Lisa.
396 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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