A teenage boy whose health and safety is a serious concern to the court has been remanded for assessment.
At Mullingar District Court, Judge Seamus Hughes told the boy’s mother that he was taking the step in the child’s best interests, and that his needs are complicated and need to be addressed by experts “who are daily dealing with juvenile criminals”.
The boy’s mother reluctantly admitted that he is out of control, and sometimes comes home after his curfew time.
He is alleged to have taken an air rifle, chainsaw, and other items, and there are older charges before the court. Judge Hughes said he will give the boy and his mother every support he can.
Detective Garda Christopher Browne said Gardaí would like the boy to be assessed so a plan can be put in place to meet his needs.
He said he had previously seen troubled children do well when placed in Oberstown to be assessed by the HSE over six to eight weeks.
The boy has what Judge Hughes described as “bad ADHD” which makes him vulnerable, and he added that he could be “persuaded to do all sorts of things”.
“I intend to put a very tight rein on him - as he gets older, I won’t be able to do that,” said the judge, pointing out that he is “very concerned” about his future.
He said he had great regard for the boy’s mother, but until now “the services have let her down” and he has “escaped the net” and was not provided with the kind of therapy he should have had while he was in school.
He said he was not interested in the boy’s father’s offer of cash bail, saying he [the boy] has “deep rooted problems which need to be dealt with by specialists”.
The case was adjourned for a week when a bed at Oberstown was made available for him.
