Missing girls in HSE care
A 14-year-old girl, who was reported missing in Wexford last Thursday, was located near the Crescent Shopping Centre at about 1pm yesterday.
Her parents were contacted by gardaí and were last night reunited with their daughter at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital.
Meanwhile, specially trained gardaí yesterday interviewed a 13-year-old girl from the north who was found in west Limerick after she was reported to have been abducted in the north.
A man in his early 20s from the Carrigkerry area of Co Limerick drove the girl in a silver Vauxhall Astra, which was reported stolen in Strabane.
Gardaí became aware of their whereabouts and took the girl into care on Sunday afternoon.
The girl’s family had reported to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) that the girl had been abducted.
Following contact between the PSNI and gardaí, the girl was located in the Carrigkerry area on Sunday and taken to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, where she was given into the care of HSE childcare personnel.
The west Limerick man is known to gardaí and has a number of convictions.
Local sources say he had been travelling to the north in recent times and got to know some people there.
Gardaí are awaiting the outcome of interviews with the girl and further information from the PSNI before deciding what course of action will be taken.
Sources in the north said they did not believe that force was used and the girl may have consented to travel south with the man, whom she got to know.
Members of the girl’s family travelled from the north on Sunday night to be re-united with her.
Travel arrangements were being made last night for the girl and her family members to return home.
A Garda spokesman said no arrests had at this time been made.
