Three years after the disappearance of Belfast schoolboy Noah Donohoe, his mother has said it is never too late to uncover the truth.
The 14-year-old first went missing on June 21 2020, before his body was discovered in a storm drain six days later.
Speaking to The Irish News, Noah’s mother Fiona Donohoe thanked those who had contributed to a fundraiser for a new investigative documentary.
“I would ask anyone who can help Noah's Voice be heard by donating to the independent investigation fund, we would be eternally grateful,” she said.
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“l would also plea to anyone who may have information and hasn't yet come forward...that it is never too late to help us find answers for Noah.”
The Dublin-based investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre launched a fundraiser for a documentary on Sunday, which had already raised over £60,000 by Wednesday afternoon.
With a target of raising £150,000, the documentary is set to air later this year.
It follows a major development in the case as CCTV footage emerged showing the teenager had snuck out of his south Belfast home on Fitzroy Avenue at 3.30am on the day he disappeared.
The Sunday World reported he was seen leaving in the pouring rain wearing a T-shirt, shorts, flip-flops and carrying headphones.
Returning at 4.05am, the footage showed he appeared to be soaking wet and no longer with his headphones or flip-flops.
The footage had only been revealed to Ms Donohoe’s solicitors over two years after the disappearance.
In the week her son was missing, Ms Donohoe said police had asked if he could have snuck out of the apartment without her knowledge.
“I told them that there was one key, and all the doors are very squeaky, and I would not have thought it likely – but obviously I was wrong’,” she told the paper.
Later that day, Noah had set off from his home again at 5.30pm and cycled to the north of the city where he was seen naked on his bike.
His body was found six days later, around 1km from the last CCTV sighting.
Ms Donohoe said she had no clue about where her son may have gone after leaving the apartment in the early hours, or if he had planned to meet someone.
She previously raised concerns her son may have been pressured into some sort of ‘county lines’ activity.
The term refers to the phone numbers, or lines, used by criminal gangs in the UK who pressure vulnerable children into delivering drugs, often to pay off a debt.
Ms Donohoe speculated over whether this could have explained her son’s journey into a part of north Belfast he was not familiar with.
— Justice For Noah Donohoe (@FIONADONOHOE2) June 21, 2023
Bringing together an international team of renowned experts, Mr MacIntyre has said he hopes his documentary can establish the full picture of what happened to the “extraordinary and beloved” teenager.
Posting a trailer on Sunday, he said there remained considerable concern over the quality of the PSNI’s original investigation and “widespread community distrust” about the process moving forward.
Among those working on the programme is Andy Crocker, a former senior officer from the UK’s Serious Crime Squad who investigated the disappearance of Milly Dowler.
Although the PSNI has insisted there is no evidence of third-party involvement, Mr Crocker said this possibility must be reconsidered.
“As a senior officer on the case I would immediately have to consider coercion or grooming of the missing child, and today we are talking about potential involvement in drugs,” he told the paper.
“Where did he go? Why? Who did he meet? I am shocked that this key information has been withheld for so long.”
Mr Crocker said the delay meant that “huge investigative opportunities,” such as collecting doorbell footage had been lost.
He said he was “perplexed” police had not made this the subject of a public appeal, as it appeared they were aware of his secret trip while searching for him.
Mr MacIntyre has questioned why the latest CCTV footage was “denied” to the family and “apparently the coroner” for over two years.
The coroner Joe McCrisken has stated there is no evidence of third-party involvement, and the available material suggested Noah had travelled to Northwood Road and entered the drain system.
An inquest had been scheduled for September, but has now been delayed as the family are challenging the PSNI for disclosure of any further CCTV footage.
