Troubled teen to be sent to Swedish therapeutic centre
A 14-year-old boy, who set fire to a room with children in it, has been granted mobility from a Dublin detention centre to allow him leave the country to undergo an assessment for a placement in a Swedish therapeutic care centre.
The troubled teenager, who is facing charges for travelling in a stolen car, assault and a breach of the peace, is being held in custody in Oberstown Boys’ Centre, a detention centre for young criminals because there is presently no suitable care home environment in Ireland in which he could be placed.
His mother cannot manage him due to his problems and there were also fears for his safety in the community if he was released, the court had also heard.
There has been considerable social service involvement in the teenager’s life and his case presented difficulties in terms of providing suitable accommodation.
At the Dublin Children’s Court today, Judge Timothy Lucey amended the existing court order holding the teen in custody to allow him mobility to leave the jurisdiction to travel to Sweden on Monday.
The boy is to take part in the two-day assessment for a placement in the Hassela Gotland centre for young people, which is located on an island in the Baltic Sea.
He was told that the boy would be accompanied by two members of staff from Oberstown Boys’ Centre, two social workers and his parents.
He is to return to custody in Oberstown Boys’ Centre on his return with liberty to apply for bail if accommodation becomes available.
The case was adjourned until November.
The placement in the Swedish centre was proposed by the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Previously, the court was also told that given the history of the case, the HSE might not presently be able to keep him safe in the community if bail was granted.
The court had heard that the boy had set fire to a room with children in it and has been in numerous care facilities since he was aged six.
At the age of nine, the health board placed him in a care home in England from which he later absconded when he was 10-years-old, and ended up on the streets of London drinking with vagrants.
His mother then brought him back to Ireland where he was put into another care home.
He has also suffered a mental breakdown and been placed on numerous anti-psychotic and depressant medications.
There are also fears for his safety because he had been previously threatened by armed men claiming to be members of the Continuity IRA.
Guns were pointed at his mother and young sisters and he was threatened by the men, the court had heard.
The teenager has been held in Oberstown Boys’ Centre since July pending efforts to have the HSE source a suitable residential and therapeutic care placement for him.
