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Schoolfriends attend emotional service for tragic Swiss student

This is the last picture taken of murdered Swiss teenager Manuela Riedo who was attacked and strangled just two days after arriving in Galway


Friday October 12 2007


TEARS flowed as schoolfriends of murdered Swiss teenager Manuela Riedo remembered her last night.

Many young women clung to each other and sobbed as they lit candles at a Galway city church in memory of the pretty 17-year-old who was attacked and strangled less than two days after arriving in Galway.

They had gathered at a special remembrance service hosted by the Augustinian Fathers at the request of the management at the Galway Language Centre where Manuela had enrolled to improve her English.

They were joined by teachers, families -- who have been playing host to over 40 of her schoolmates -- counsellors from HSE West, gardai and many Galway people anxious to pay their own tribute to the tragic Swiss girl.

It had been thought that Manuela's parents, Hans and Arlette Riedo, would travel to Galway and attend the service but they are believed to be too traumatised by their daughter's violent death to make the trip.

As the ceremony began, seven squares of white paper laid before the altar were turned over to reveal the name Manuela.

Close friends lit candles and laid them in front of their friend's name. For many of them, the emotion was almost too much as they were helped back to their seats.

A teacher read the poem 'Mid-Term Break' by Seamus Heaney and prayers were said for Manuela and her parents, for her friends and group leaders and for the community.

Parish Priest Fr Dick Lyng spoke of the 'terrible blow' that Manuela's parents had suffered. He said that the local community wanted to show their solidarity with them in their unimaginable loss.

"We hope to send a signal to them that they are not alone in their grief," said Fr Lyng.

Another reason for the service was to allow the community of which Manuela was part to sympathise with each other on 'this horrible devastation' and to help her fellow students to go forward with confidence in the knowledge that they had done their duty by Manuela.

A book of condolences was opened at the church, while hundreds of Galway people and visitors to the city had signed similar books at the Galway Language Centre and at Renmore Church.

The vast bulk of the messages were in English, but several were written in German, while Japanese and French visitors also wrote messages in their own languages. It is hoped to eventually pass the books on to Manuela's family.

Close to the scene of the murder, at wasteland near the Galway-Dublin railway line, further floral tributes were laid by passers-by yesterday.

Meanwhile, gardai interviewed host families of students who were in the Swiss group which arrived in Galway only last weekend for a two-week intensive English course.

investigation

The students are all now staying together at a Galway hotel and it is expected that they will cut short their planned stay in Galway and return to Switzerland later today.

A garda statement pointed out that no further interviews would be given at this time and said that the investigation was progressing satisfactorily.

A team of 50 gardai, including members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations, are working on the case.

The distraught group of Swiss students who had travelled with the young teenager were today expected to be flown home to their friends and family.

The group of 42 students and their two teachers, who were due to stay in Galway until October 20, last night confirmed they were cutting their trip short after the tragic death of their friend.

Dominique Sudan, director of the Business Technical School in Freiburg, Switzerland, confirmed the group from the German and French commerce section of the school would travel back home today. They were expected to make the journey to Dublin by bus before being flown home.

"It is a big shock for the students, the teacher too in Galway and Switzerland," Mr Sudan said