Leading campaigner for justice in Sophie Toscan du Plantier case dies in France 

THE campaign for justice for the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier has been dealt a blow by the death of one of its most vocal supporters.

The death of Jean Antoine Bloc Daude occurred on Thursday of last week, as two documentaries about the 1996 murder of the Frenchwoman have resulted in a frenzy of publicity about the case.

Mr Bloc Daude was the president of the Association for the Truth about the Murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier and was a friend of Sophie’s family. 

He had headed up press conferences and had visited Cork in a bid to seek advances in the investigation into the 1996 murder.

He also acted as an intermediary between the media and Sophie’s family.

Sophie’s uncle, Jean Pierre Gazeau, said the 80-year-old passed away after an illness.

He said that Mr Bloc Daude had also known Sophie.

The association was set up in 2008, and wrote letters to the then President, Mary McAleese, and the then taoiseach, Brian Cowen, to seek help in getting “justice for Sophie’s family”.

His death comes as the story of Sophie’s murder in West Cork has been catapulted into the headlines with the release of documentaries on Sky Crime and Netflix.

Sophie’s family co-operated with the three-episode Netflix production, on which her cousin, Frederic Gazeau, was a producer.

Filmmaker Jim Sheridan made the five-part Sky Crime series.