Judge: €15k not enough for toddler’s mistreatment at creche

A four-year-old girl, who allegedly suffered psychological injuries while attending a creche mentioned in an RTÉ expose on the mistreatment of children, has been offered a settlement of €15,000, a court has heard.

But Judge James O’Donohue in the Circuit Civil Court said the damages offer was not enough and rejected it. It means the claim by Emilie Kiely will now go to a full trial before another judge.

The court heard that Emilie, during a five-months period when she attended Giraffe Childcare, at Belarmine Copse, Stepaside, Enniskerry Road, Co Dublin, allegedly “suffered stress, emotional upset and terror”. The creche had denied liability in a full defence to the child’s claim but, Judge O’Donohue was told, had made the “without admission of liability” settlement offer.