
Twenty years after a gruesome discovery in Dublin's Royal Canal, the Scissor Sisters case remains Ireland's most complex and controversial murder investigation. But beneath the sensational headlines lies a deeper story of systemic failure that continues to resonate today.
In this episode, we investigate the 2005 murder of Farah Swaleh Noor by sisters Linda and Charlotte Mulhall, a case that exposed catastrophic failures in Ireland's approach to domestic violence, the marginalization of the Traveller community, and a criminal justice system that repeatedly failed to intervene.
Farah Swaleh Noor had multiple convictions for violence and sexual assault against women, yet never served meaningful prison time. The Mulhall sisters grew up witnessing abuse and lived on society's margins, struggling with addiction and trauma. When their worlds collided in a small Dublin flat, the result was a tragedy that Justice Paul Carney called "the most grotesque killing" of his career.
Now, as Charlotte Mulhall approaches potential release in 2025, we examine the uncomfortable questions this case raises: How many opportunities for intervention were missed? What responsibility does society bear when perpetrators are also victims? And two decades later, has Ireland learned anything from this watershed moment?
This isn't just true crime, it's a mirror held up to systemic failures that continue to put vulnerable people at risk. Join us as we explore the intersections of domestic violence, substance abuse, poverty, discrimination, and the limits of justice itself.
Warning: This episode contains discussions of violence, sexual assault, and substance abuse. Listener discretion is advised.
Read more: https://theurb.co/scissor-sisters-crime