Limerick father on ‘brutal’ arrest of mentally-ill son

A Limerick father has spoken publicly about the effect a brutal arrest almost 10 years ago had on his mentally-ill son.

He was speaking after the Oireachtas Justice Committee heard allegations that his son was beaten and whipped with a belt while in a Garda station being questioned for suspected drug use.

The father, who was not named, said when his son was arrested as a 17-year-old, gardaí detained him for four hours.

During that time, he said, he was beaten and had his trousers pulled down and was whipped with a belt buckle.

“When he came out after the four hours he was shaking; he didn’t know where he was,” he said.

The father said he initiated legal action, but this fell through when paperwork linked to the original incident and complaint could not be recovered.

The incident happened before the establishment of the Garda Siochána Ombudsman Commission in 2007 and would have been referred to the now defunct Garda Complaints Board.

The victim’s father told the Pat Kenny Show on Newstalk that his son was ill at the time and since the incident he has been affected and is still attending a psychiatrist. “He is 26 years of age and he is like a guy of 14 or 15,” he said.

The man said after the alleged assault happened, an initial investigation was carried out but he was not satisfied with the outcome. “They did say there was an incident that happened and that the man would be reprimanded,” he said.

He said the investigation went nowhere and he felt he was not believed.

The father said he hoped that after recent controversies, the Commission of Investigation to be established by the Government might mean the case would get a fresh hearing.

“People might believe me now. He might be able to get some help,” he said.

Following the incident, the teen was taken to Dr Richard O’Flaherty, who referred him to hospital where X-rays discovered a spinal injury which required four days’ hospital treatment. This week, Dr O’Flaherty drew attention to this and other cases when he appeared before the Oireachtas Justice Committee.