Youth centre accuses gardaí of ‘harassment and brutality’

ALLEGATIONS of garda “harassment and brutality” against young people have been made by a community organisation at an Oireachtas committee.

Youth centre The Base, located in Ballyfermot, south-west Dublin, claimed that the abuse was “widespread”.

The Base’s youth co-ordinator, Amel Yacef, told the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children youth workers had witnessed it and claimed it was happening “every night”.

The allegations were greeted with shock by members — although a number questioned Ms Yacef about her claims.

“There is a breakdown with gardaí,” said Ms Yacef.

“We are getting very serious reports of gardaí harassing young people. Police brutality is there — they are beating them up, it’s normalised. It’s very worrying.”

Ms Yacef said the centre worked well with some gardaí, including the community gardaí and juvenile liaison officers.

James Hurley, a youth attending the centre, said: “They don’t respect us. Why should we respect them? They look down at us like a bunch of dogs.”

Committee chairman, Fine Gael TD Jerry Buttimer, said not all gardaí were like that.

Fine Gael TD Denis Naughten told Ms Yacef she was making “very serious allegations of brutality and harassment” and asked what efforts had the centre made in bringing their concerns to garda authorities.

Ms Yacef said they “actually work really well with gardaí, as well”. She said a Thursday night soccer league involving community gardaí, juvenile liaison officers and local youths had positive benefits.

“What I am worried about is community gardaí and juvenile liaison officers saying themselves ‘see this guard stay low, he’s a bit...’. That is unacceptable.”

Mr Naughten intervened and told Ms Yacef: “You need to clarify. In your presentation you said it was a bit like the wild west and this was a systemic problem in gardaí. Now you’re indicating it’s isolated gardaí.

Ms Yacef said: “I would not use the term ‘isolated’. It is widespread. It is completely unacceptable. Every night there is harassment. Our youth workers have witnessed it.”

She said they had brought it up at the community policing forum and were consulting other local groups before presenting a detailed report to gardaí.

Fine Gael TD for Ballyfermot, Catherine Byrne, said she was shaken by the allegations.

She said she had “only the highest regard” for a lot of gardaí she dealt with and offered her services in organising a meeting with the local superintendent.

Fellow local TD, Sinn Féin’s Aengus O Snodaigh, said “some gardaí seem to target young people, in particular”. He said some gardaí were “very good” and that the community gardaí did “tremendous work”.

Robert Dowds, Labour TD for nearby Clondalkin, said he was aware of “many excellent gardaí”. He said the Garda superintendent who covers both Clondalkin and Ballyfermot was “most anxious” to provide the best police service.

Growing problem

RISING addiction among young men to strong forms of cannabis and a hallucinogenic drug called ketamine are key emerging trends, an Oireachtas committee has heard.

The Rutland Centre, a leading addiction service, told the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children they were also seeing a significant rise in addiction to prescription drugs, such as tranquillisers and sedatives.

Dr Fiona Weldon, the clinical director at Rutland, said they were “seriously concerned” at the number of young men using a strong form of cannabis called skunk.

She said this grass form of cannabis was two or three times stronger than cannabis resin, the traditional form of the drug. She said in “many cases” the men were experiencing “psychotic episodes”, including paranoia, and that detoxification took longer.

Tony Geoghegan of Merchants Quay Ireland told the committee drug treatment worked both for individuals and their families and also for the state, in terms of savings in justice and health.

But he said only half of the estimated 20,000 heroin addicts were receiving methadone treatment and said there were still long waiting lists.

He said there were only 50 inpatient detoxification beds in Ireland, which he said was a “serious indictment” on the country.

Senator John Crown asked whether the state should consider legally providing heroin or morphine to chronic addicts, instead of methadone, which, he said, did not appear to satisfy their cravings.

Mr Geoghegan agreed that this should be considered.