John McAreavey: Murder of Michaela has left ‘aching hole’ 15 years on as he vows never to give up fight for justice
John McAreavey says he will never give up on getting justice for the murder of his wife Michaela as it has left an ‘aching hole’ in him, 15 years after her tragic death on their honeymoon in Mauritius.
Michaela, daughter of then-Tyrone football manager Mickey Harte, was killed just 10 days after getting married.
The 27-year-old schoolteacher was on her honeymoon with John when she was found dead in the bathtub of the couple’s room at the Legends Hotel on the island nation.
The newlywed had went back alone to the room after having lunch with her husband, who later discovered her body.
To date, no-one has been convicted in connection with Michaela’s death.
Two Mauritian men were acquitted of murder following a high-profile trial in 2012. Sandip Moneea, now 55, and Avinash Treebhoowoon, now 44, were acquitted by a jury after being charged with murder.
Michaela had been a well-known figure herself in Irish sport and culture, frequently seen alongside her father during Tyrone’s hugely successful run to three All Ireland titles as well as appearing in the Rose of Tralee. She was a teacher at St Patrick’s Academy, Dungannon.
Speaking to The Irish News on the 15th anniversary of her murder, Tullylish man and former Down GAA senior footballer, John says he finds it difficult to go back to the time in 2011 when his world crumbled around him.
“I tend not to go back there too often. I’ve got very experienced in how to actually live with this now,” he says.
“It’s like you’ve got this big sort of aching hole in your body and you don’t want to poke at it too often because the nerves are still very much there.
“It’s probably the enormity of it that almost gets lost on you in a way. I always get reminded of that when I talk to some other people and I can see it in them and I can see it in their face when they are talking.
“It’s because it has just become part of my life now, you forget just how incredibly awful that was.
“I try not to go too deep into it because it’s not healthy for me, but I’ve been able to process things and build a life where there is so much to be grateful for and to be able to see that is a very, very fortunate thing.”
John has embarked on a determined battle for justice for the last decade and a half, pursuing any avenue in which he may be able to pressure the Mauritian authorities to do more in order to bring those who murdered Michaela to justice for what they did.
Having since remarried and had two children, it has not diluted his efforts to see justice done.
“I haven’t really done a whole lot in the media in a couple of years now and the reason is because I’ve just not seen a lot of progress in that overall objective.
“This year does feel a little bit different, it’s 15 years. It’s quite significant, it’s a hell of a long time.
“I was hoping to be in a better position this month with a bit of an update on how different agencies have been able to assist in that objective.
“I have literally been doing this now for 15 years and at different times have been more confident about the road that we’re on in terms of getting to a better place for justice.
“I must say the last few years now, I’ve heard it all from different people. People saying the right things and people are going to do this and do that. It does suck the confidence out of you whenever you are not seeing much progress.
“But I’ve seen cases all over the world that have lasted much longer than 15 years and people eventually get there, and I just think that the pursuit of that justice is worthy.”
John and Michaela McAreavey on their wedding day at St. Malachy’s Church, Ballymacilroy.
John and members of the Harte family have engaged with governments both in Dublin and London over the years in an effort to bring diplomatic pressure on the Mauritian authorities to do more in their investigation into Michaela’s murder.
In November, John met with Tanaiste Simon Harris and the Department of Foreign Affairs as part of those efforts. He says he has yet to receive an update since that meeting.
John added that “nothing has changed” in his mind that he believes the people who murdered Michaela are those that were acquitted at the 2012 trial.
“To be fair to the Mauritians, whenever those guys were acquitted, they did change the law so that new evidence could be brought about so that these guys could be retried.
“The mechanism for actually getting to justice is there, but I’m realistic of where we are today to get to that point.
“It seems a very, very long way off but for me and for our families it’s enough to be able to get to that point, to get another day in court and another chance to put these guys under pressure. That’s really what we have to hope for.
“For me I have to continue to ask people to support me, through politicians both here in Ireland and in Britain. It’s an arduous task for sure but we just have to keep trying.”
Asked for what message he would like to deliver to those in power in Mauritius, John references the 2012 trial in which he expresses disgust at how he and Michaela’s family were treated, and urged them to “deliver on their promises” to bring her killers to justice.
“I think there has been two prime ministers now have said that it’s their duty of care to deliver justice and here we are, sitting with nothing.
“The fact of what happened was one thing and then how we were treated when we went back for the trial in 2012 and how they conducted themselves in court, it was a very, very painful experience in itself and it wasn’t a good look for the country of Mauritius.”
Avinash Treebhowoon was acquitted of the murder of Michaela McAreavey Sandip Moneea was cleared of Michaela McAreavey’s murder in 2012.
On how he is able to continue finding the strength to attend meeting after meeting in order to continue his fight, John says it has not consumed his life and that he has no other option than to keep going.
“Like anything in life you just get used to what you’ve been doing and it’s not that it completely consumed my life now, far from that.
“I’ve been able to go on and build a new life and still deal with these things and the pain. Your coping mechanisms just get stronger and that’s how you manage I think.”
