Sara said the trial had been a difficult process.
“You have two years where you’re just so hopeful, and then it’s completely dashed and taken away,” she said.
“I understand why the judge made the decision she made,” she said, adding “I don’t feel like we were warned enough about the possibility that our chances would be nil.”
The system, she said, has let Lyra down.
Following the verdicts the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said it was “satisfied that our legal test for prosecution was met and that it was in the public interest to bring the case”.
“The case successfully overcame a number of robust legal challenges during the proceedings.”
The PPS said it recognised the “acquittals will be deeply disappointing to Lyra’s family and loved ones”.
A spokesperson for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said: “In line with the not guilty verdicts, we will now take time to consider the implications and determine our next steps.
“Our thoughts at this time remain with Lyra’s family and friends.”