Judge requests HSE attend case of teen
A judge at the Dublin Children’s Court has asked the HSE to attend the case of a 16-year-old boy charged with assaulting his sick mother and stealing her medication.
Judge Ann Ryan’s request came after she heard that the boy had been earlier held in custody where educational and psychological assessments were carried out. As a result, an action plan had been drafted with recommendations for social services to assist the teen over his anger problems and for family therapy to be provided.
Defence solicitor Mr Gareth Noble told Judge Ryan that a “comprehensive” 40-page assessment report had been furnished to the court. The report had made a number of suggestions, which Mr Noble has forwarded to the HSE, but he said it appeared that the matter had been “let slide.”
It had recommended family therapy and also anger management for the boy.
Prosecuting garda Brendan Edery agreed that the teenager needed anger management counselling.
Mr Noble asked for the case to be adjourned to allow a social services’ report to be furnished to the court.
“Certainly the report was very extensive and indicated what was the appropriate way to deal with matters, and that has not really happened,” Judge Ryan said adding that family therapy was “vital” in this case.
The boy was allowed home on continuing bail to appear again next month with the judge requesting a representative of the HSE to attend the case then.
The boy, who is from north Dublin, has been charged at the Children’s Court with theft of medication belonging to his mother, whose condition has not been stated, on a date in October. He was also charged with attacking her on the same date and again on January 4 last.
The young boy, who had been attending a doctor at a north Dublin child and family clinic, also faces charges for attacking his father and his teenage sister at their home in January as well as breach of the peace.
Earlier, he had been held in custody at the National Remand and Assessment Centre, a juvenile detention in Finglas in Dublin, for four weeks for the assessments to be carried out. In January, his mother had told the court she was “finding it very difficult at the moment.”
Her son had also breached a bail condition set down earlier compelling him to be of good behaviour in his home. After being held in custody the teenager was welcomed home after the court heard that an action plan had been drafted to assist him.
Social services have been working with the teenager for a number of years, the court has also heard.
