Netflix confirms release date for Sophie: A Murder in West Cork, examining the death of Sophie Toscan du Plantier

Examining the murder of French documentary producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier in Ireland in 1996, the three-part documentary series is produced by Oscar-winning producer of Man on Wire Simon Chinn and features contributions from Sophie’s family, including her son Pierre-Louis Baudey.

“With access both to the victim’s family and those involved in the story, the series unravels this extraordinary story from its beginning and offers a unique window into the ongoing battle to find justice for Sophie,” Netflix says.

Sophie, a 39-year-old TV producer, was found beaten to death outside her holiday cottage in School, West Cork on 23rd December 1996.

Journalist Ian Bailey was the prime suspect in the case and was arrested twice in association with the murder.

French authorities attempted to extradite him to France but were unsuccessful.

In May 2019, Bailey was tried in absentia, convicted of the murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. He maintains his innocence.

After the verdict, he said in a statement to The Guardian: “All they’ve done is convict an innocent man who had nothing to do with the crime. All they’ve got is a Pyrrhic victory.”

He has not been charged with any crime in Ireland and still lives in Country Cork.

There is no forensic evidence to link him to the scene of the crime.

The executive producers of Sophie: A Murder in West Cork, Suzanne Lavery and Simon Chinn, said: “Sophie was much more than a victim of a murder. She was a mother, a daughter, a sister, a filmmaker and a writer.

“Whatever actually happened on that cold December night in 1996, the story is one of a collision of worlds, cultures and characters and it was that which drew us to it. But it was meeting and gaining the trust of Sophie’s family which really gave us our purpose. Justice has eluded them for a quarter of a century since Sophie’s death and their main aim in cooperating with us to make this series is to do justice to her memory. We hope we have achieved that for them.”

Sophie: A Murder in West Cork arrives on Netflix on 30th June. If you're looking for something else to watch, visit our TV Guide. Check out our Documentaries hub for all the latest news.