Jonathan Devlin and Rosalind Devlin

Jonathan Devlin’s bond with Rosalind Devlin is shaped by a painful divide between fatherly loyalty and suspicion. He had wondered for years about her lies and later questioned whether she might be involved in Katy’s illness and death, yet he did not know enough to accuse her. After the truth emerges, his response is both protective and restrictive: he keeps Rosalind at home under supervision and plans to send Jessica elsewhere, acknowledging the danger within his own family.

Suspicion Without Certainty

Jonathan tells Rob Ryan that he had not known Rosalind was involved in Katy’s death. He had reasoned that she could not have acted alone while she was with her cousins, and he knew nothing about Damien Donnelly. Still, he had wondered, because he had known Rosalind all her life. His suspicion remained an unspoken possibility rather than a report to the police.

That silence reaches further back than the investigation. Jonathan recalls that years earlier he wanted Rosalind to see a psychologist because of the amount she lied. Margaret Devlin opposed the idea and threatened to leave with the girls, leaving Jonathan fearful of losing his family and without evidence that would have made an accusation actionable. He says he kept watch over Rosalind and hoped the threatening calls against him came from a property developer instead. His account presents suspicion constrained by uncertainty and family pressure, not knowledge he knowingly concealed.

Jessica’s Account and Rosalind’s Influence

The family’s tensions surface during the police interviews with Jessica Devlin. When Jessica says that a man had frightened Katy, Cassie Maddox gently asks whether anyone else had frightened her. Jessica withdraws rather than answering, and her brief question about whether the situation is real underscores how difficult it is for her to remain engaged.

Later, when Rob Ryan tries to hear what Jessica saw, Rosalind begins to supply the account herself. Ryan stops her, explaining that he needs to hear it directly from Jessica because a second-hand statement would be hearsay. Rosalind then prompts Jessica to speak. Jessica eventually reports seeing a man talk to Katy on the road as they returned from the shop, looking toward Rosalind rather than Ryan as she speaks. When Ryan asks when this happened, Jessica corrects his implication that Katy had gone away: she says Katy was killed, then loses focus. The scene establishes Rosalind’s presence in, and influence over, Jessica’s testimony, while leaving the limits of that influence uncertain.

Paternal Attachment and Regret

Jonathan’s choices are also shaped by his attachment to both daughters. He explains that Rosalind is his daughter too, and that Margaret still believes Rosalind did nothing wrong. His account of the earlier family conflict helps explain why he hesitated to challenge his wife or force the question of professional help. At the same time, the discovery of Rosalind’s conduct changes what he is prepared to do.

He reveals that Margaret became pregnant only a couple of months into their relationship and that both of them were frightened. Jonathan once raised the possibility of her travelling to England, but Margaret’s religious beliefs and distress led them to continue toward marriage. He says he does not regret marrying her, yet regrets not knowing what Rosalind would become. The counterfactual exposes the depth of his grief: his love for his daughter persists, but it is now inseparable from the thought that the family’s earliest choices might have spared them what followed.

Supervision, Separation, and Consequence

After Rosalind’s involvement is established, Jonathan plans to send her to counseling, as the judge directed. He has read that people like her may not change, but says he has to try. He intends to keep her at home as long as possible so that he can monitor her and try to prevent her from harming anyone else. Although Rosalind is due to begin studying music at Trinity in October, Jonathan tells her he will not pay for a separate flat: she must remain at home or find work.

His plan for Jessica is the opposite. Jonathan intends to send her to live with his sister in Athlone once she is well enough, explicitly to remove her from danger. The contrast makes his altered understanding of the household plain: the daughter he had watched with suspicion is now subject to his supervision, while the daughter who had struggled to speak is to be protected through separation. His response cannot undo his earlier inaction, but it turns the father-daughter relationship into a practical effort to contain further harm.