Sophie: A Murder in West Cork release date – Netflix documentary explores Sophie Toscan du Plantier killing
Three part Netflix documentary re-examines the brutal 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.
The unsolved murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier is the subject of the new Netflix true crime series Sophie: A Murder In West Cork.
Frenchwoman Sophie was found dead outside her holiday cottage in West Cork, Ireland, just before Christmas in 1996.
The three-episode documentary features interviews with her friends, family, police involved in the investigation into her murder, and residents of the coastal town of Schull in West Cork where she died, including journalist Ian Bailey, who was one of the first people to report on her death.
Here’s everything you need to know about the true crime documentary.
Sophie: A Murder in West Cork release date
The true crime documentary series arrived on Netflix on Wednesday, 30th June.
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There are three episodes in Sophie: A Murder in West Cork.
What is Sophie: A Murder in West Cork about?
The Netflix series focuses on the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, a 39-year-old French woman who was found beaten to death outside her holiday home near Schull in County Cork on December 23rd, 1996.
A British journalist named Ian Bailey was a prime suspect in the case, but there is no forensic evidence to link him to the crime and he has not been charged in Ireland. Bailey lived in a cottage close to Sophie’s and was the first reporter on the scene.
French authorities believe he is guilty, having and tried and convicted Bailey in absentia of Sophie’s murder. “All they’ve done is convict an innocent man who had nothing to do with the crime,” he told the Guardian after the verdict was announced. “All they’ve got is a pyrrhic victory.”
Bailey still lives in County Cork in Ireland, despite attempts to extradite him to France. He maintains his innocence.
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The series is co-produced by Oscar-winning producer Simon Chinn, who made the acclaimed documentaries Man On Wire and Searching For Sugarman. “What actually happened on that cold December night in 1996, the story is one of a collision of worlds, cultures and characters and it was that which drew us to it,” he said. “But it was meeting and gaining the trust of Sophie’s family which really gave us our purpose.”
“Justice has eluded them for a quarter of a century since Sophie’s death and their main aim in cooperating with us to make the series is to do justice to her memory. We hope we have achieved that, for them.”
The spotlight is certainly on the case in the lead-up to the 25th anniversary of Sophie's murder, and this Netflix series is not the only one to focus on the crime. There is also a documentary series, Murder at the Cottage, from film director Jim Sheridan in the works that is due to be released on Sky later this year.
Netflix says this about their Sophie documentary, which is the only project to have been given the blessing of Sophie’s family and to be made with their full co-operation: “With access both to the victim’s family and those involved in the story, the series unravels this extraordinary story from its beginning and offers a unique window into the ongoing battle to find justice for Sophie.”
Is there a trailer for Sophie: A Murder in West Cork?
There isn’t a trailer as yet, but this page will be updated when one is available.
Sophie: A Murder in West Cork is available to stream on Netflix. If you’re looking for something else to watch, visit our TV Guide or the best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix for what to watch next. Check out our Documentaries hub for all the latest news.
