Siblings in care over abuse claims

A four-year-old girl and her seven-year-old brother are in care following allegations their mother and father sexually abused them, according to reports last night.

The Newstalk website reported that the children’s 11-year-old brother had told gardaí that his father beat him and once spiked him in the arm with a needle. He said he witnessed both his parents sexually abuse his younger siblings when they were around two and four years of age. On one occasion he said he intervened and told his mother to abuse him instead of his sister.

District Court judge Colin Daly ordered that they be placed in care to allow gardaí to investigate.