Girl at risk of being institutionalised, court hears

A primary school-aged girl who exhibits violent and challenging behaviour, and lives in a residential care unit, has not been schooled since February and is at risk of being “institutionalised”, Cork District Court was told yesterday.

During the in-camera, childcare proceedings, a solicitor for the girl’s mother argued that her behaviour had escalated since she was removed from the care of her grandmother in February. She requested that the court return the child to the grandmother’s care as per the mother and grandmother’s requests.

The solicitor said the girl is sometimes restrained by two adults several times a day, and was until recently alone in the placement.