Case of suicidal boy adjourned

The Children’s Court today adjourned the case of a 14-year-old boy, who has tried to kill himself three times, pending a High Court legal action to find him a suitable care facility.

The troubled boy, from north inner city Dublin, has been held in custody for over three months in the Finglas Child and Adolescent Centre, amid fears for his safety. He is facing a charge for handling a stolen bicycle, over which the issue of his fitness to plead has been raised.

Efforts have also been made to locate a suitable facility for the boy who also has special education needs.

His solicitor, Ms Michelle Finan, today told Judge Thomas Fitzpatrick that the issue of finding therapeutic residential placement is to be brought to the High Court this week.

She applied for the Children’s Court case to be adjourned pending the outcome of the High Court proceedings.

Judge Fitzpatrick consented to the application and further remanded the teenager in custody for two weeks.

Earlier the court had heard that two assessments, one conducted by and Finglas Child and Adolescent Centre, and another by a psychiatrist, concurred that the teen needed to be placed in a secure therapeutic environment and that a placement through the criminal justice system was not appropriate.,

The teenager has been involved in suicide attempts and incidents of self harm and his family fear for his welfare, the court had heard previously.

Earlier, his mother had told the court that she had been trying to get help for her son for since he was aged 10.

His school teacher had also said in court earlier that over the last two years she, with the boy’s mother, has attended numerous meetings with social services over him “but nothing has come out of it".

She had described the boy’s behaviour as “very extreme” and continued to say he had tried to commit suicide three times in school.