As teenage driver responsible for causing Wicklow schoolgirl’s death receives fully suspended prison sentence, victim’s family say she’s been treated like another statistic
Molly Dempsey was 15 years old when she died following a single-vehicle crash outside Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, in May 2024.
Her family argue that current legislation does not reflect the seriousness of causing death by dangerous driving, and have also raised concerns over how they only learnt devastating details about Molly’s final moments in a public courtroom.
Molly was a passenger in a car being driven by a teenage boy, who later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing her death, along with driving without a licence and without insurance.
The late Molly Dempsey (15).
The vehicle left the road during the incident and Molly suffered fatal injuries. She was taken to hospital, but was pronounced dead a short time later.
Speaking just days after the sentencing, Molly’s parents, Nigel and Mary Dempsey, her sisters Yvonne and Ella, and other family members, said they believe the law needs to be updated to include mandatory custodial sentences in certain cases.
“It doesn’t matter who they are or what the circumstances were,” said Ms Dempsey, adding: “If you drove at excessive speed and killed somebody, there has to be a mandatory sentence.”
The family pointed to existing Irish legislation where mandatory minimum sentences apply, including drug offences under Section 15A, and said similar provisions should be introduced for fatal road traffic offences.
“There has to be reform. There has to be something that means there is a prison sentence,” they said, adding they believe the suspended sentence sends the wrong message.
Yvonne Dempsey, Ella Demsey and Makenzie Fox, with a photo of the late Molly Dempsey. Photo: Joe Byrne
Yvonne Dempsey said it seemed to her to be “an insult to any young girl in the same situation as Molly”. “It sends a message that even if you are caught, you will only get a suspended sentence,” she added.
The family have launched a public campaign under the banner ‘Justice for Molly Dempsey’, sharing videos online calling for reform of the laws surrounding dangerous driving causing death. “We will try, and we will keep on trying,” her sister Yvonne said.
Molly’s mother added: “This isn’t just about Molly. It’s about all the families across Ireland who have experienced similar tragedies.
“We’re not the only family in this country going through this. Hundreds of families experience this sort of grief. But we will try to help fix that by changing the law.”
Sadly, the Dempsey family are no stranger to grief as Molly’s death was the third tragedy to strike the family, with her parents also previously suffering the deaths of two of their sons, Roy and Killian.
Despite their push for legal reform, the family still have questions about the circumstances surrounding the night of the crash.
They asked how the driver involved was able to travel so far during a busy bank holiday weekend without being stopped by gardaí.
Recalling the sentencing hearing, Mary Dempsey said the family were not fully aware of the medical cause of their daughter’s death until it was outlined by prosecution counsel in court.
The family heard for the first time, in that public setting, the full details of how Molly had been crushed underneath the car, suffering severe injuries to her chest, which led to her death.
Devastation isn’t even the word
Ms Dempsey believes families should be warned about the details they might hear during proceedings.
“We should have been brought in beforehand and warned about what we were going to hear,” she said.
The moment the sentence was delivered remains difficult for the family to process.
“Devastation isn’t even the word,” one family member said. “It felt like it was happening all over again.”
They said the sentencing forced them to relive every detail of what happened that night.
“We feel like we haven’t got any justice, and that the DPP have let us down,” the family said, adding: “As a family, we feel the sentence is not a slap on the wrist. It’s a pat on the back.”
Remembering Molly, her mother described a girl whose personality filled every room she entered.
“She brought happiness and joy,” said Mary. “Everything about her was superb. There were good and bad times with Molly. She was my special gift.”
Her family say Molly had a strong presence and left an impression wherever she went.
“She would make sure you knew her,” her mother said. Yvonne agreed, noting, “if you didn’t know her, you would want to know her”.
Stories about Molly still bring laughter to the family home.
One memory from when she was eight stands out. Molly and a friend had fashioned what her mother described as a “bridle” upstairs in her bedroom.
While Mary and Yvonne were outside talking with a local councillor, Molly appeared coming up the field with a donkey.
Mary remembers asking her what she was doing. Molly’s simple answer was, “we rescued him”. Mary insisted she return the donkey, and as Molly walked it back, she sang the country song Way Out West.
Back, from left, Dion Fox and Makenzie Fox. Seated, Nigel Dempsey, Yvonne Dempsey, Ella Dempsey and Mary Dempsey with a photo of the late Molly Dempsey. Photo: Joe Byrne
Music was always a big part of Molly’s life. She loved country music, house music and what her family described as “everything Nineties”. She shared a love of dance music with her father and enjoyed listening to Scooter.
During the hearing, the family delivered victim-impact statements outlining the personal toll of Molly’s death.
Yvonne recalled a line she used. “She’s not just another statistic.”
Yet now, the family say they feel Molly has been treated exactly that way.
“We feel she has been disregarded,” they said.
Molly’s sister Ella spoke about the personal impact. “I had to do her make-up for her funeral instead of her debs,” she said. “No 18-year-old girl should have to do her 15-year-old sister’s make-up for her funeral.”
Despite their anger, the family said they were grateful for the support received from Victim Support services. “They were a great help to us,” they said.
For the family, the loss of Molly is something they now live with every day. Yvonne, who lives just 500 metres from her sister’s grave, said: “I see it every day. My children see it from their bedroom every single day. She was robbed of her life.”
In the days after the crash, Yvonne said that she returned to the scene.
Parts of the vehicle were still caught in nearby fencing. “There are still pictures of our sister out on the side of the road,” she said.
Molly’s father Nigel said that, while the driver involved will eventually move on with his life, Molly will never have that opportunity.
“He can carry on with his life. He can have kids and get married. But our daughter can’t.”
For Molly’s family, the hardest part is the life she never got to live. “She was 15. She was in the prime of her life,” they said. “Molly never got the chance to get her first job, drive her first car, have her first child, or get married. All of those things were left undone.”
The family said they are currently exploring the possibility of appealing the sentence and have begun seeking legal advice on the matter.
Mary added that they intend to continue pursuing every possible avenue available to them in their search for justice for Molly.
Funded by the Court Reporting Scheme