Lack of supports leave young offenders vulnerable

LAST month a 14-year-old boy was remanded in custody for educational and psychiatric assessments after he had continued to re-offend while on bail.

The teen, who had been suspended from school due to his bad behaviour, was before Dublin Children’s Court where Gardaí sought the remand.

He had already been given bail in May on a theft charge, subject to him obeying a nightly curfew. However, the court heard evidence that he had broken the bail condition and his mother, who had been evicted from her home because of him, had trouble controlling him.