Judge: Girl’s shoplifting is like out of a Dickens novel

A judge at the Dublin Children’s Court has compared the litany of shoplifting charges against a 13-year-old girl to something “out of a Dickens novel”.

Judge John O’Connor, who had already got Tusla Child and Family Agency (CFA) to assess the girl’s welfare, said the teenager has picked up theft charges since her last hearing, four weeks ago.

“I don’t know whether there is an underlying issue, whether she is being sent out to do it. There is certainly a huge problem in the family,” Judge O’Connor said. There was a high chance the girl could end up in custody, he also warned.