Judge: 'Parents deprived daughter of education'

A judge today hit out at the parents of a teenage Roma girl found guilty of an attempted house break-in, saying they had deprived the child of an education for nine years and were “living in the 19th century.”

The 16-year-old girl, who is originally from Romania but came to Ireland with her family in 1999, had been found guilty at the Children’s Court of trespass with intent to commit an offence at a house, in Sansouci Park, in Booterstown, in south County Dublin, on September 6 last year.

Judge Aingeal Ni Chonduin said: “It really sickens me to see a child like this, it is neglect, abuse, it’s not right.”

The girl had two previous convictions, one for burglary and another for trespassing with intent, for which she received a suspended sentence in late 2005, when she was aged 14.

Garda Peter Reddy, of Blackrock station, told Judge Ni Chonduin he stopped to speak to the girl who was with her 19-year-old aunt after finding them in the garden of a house, at Cross Avenue, in Booterstown.

A woman approached alleging the girl had attempted to gain entry to her nearby home.

In evidence the woman said she had been upstairs in her home while her four-year-old child was playing downstairs.

“I became aware that my daughter was saying something and asked what is it?” The woman looked down and saw that a person was standing outside her shut front door.

“They could not see me and all of a sudden the door burst open suddenly. I got a huge fright.”

A security chain on the door stopped it from opening fully.

The woman said hhe was extremely startled and on seeing the girl and confronted her saying “how dare you open my door” a few times.

“But she stood her ground and was not the slightest bit bothered or put out and offered no explanation. Then she gave me an A4 piece of paper indicating a charity sponsorship.”

The woman said the girl eventually left and proceeded to other houses in the area where many elderly people lived.

She denied in cross-examination that her daughter had opened the door to the girl.

In evidence, translated from the Roma language by an interpreter, the girl claimed she had knocked at the door which was opened to her by the woman’s little child. She denied that she had forced it and claimed that she had gone to the house to ask where the nearest McDonald’s restaurant was.

Finding the girl guilty Judge Ni Chonduin said it was a question of credibility and she accepted the prosecution’s account. And from judicial knowledge of the area people would not be going there looking for directions, she said.

She was told the teenage girl, who was accompanied to court by her parents, had been in Ireland with her family since 1999 and in that time had not attended school.

Defence solicitor Kelly Breen said that efforts were being made to find her a suitable school. “Suffice to say she is not actively engaged in anything at present,” she said. She appealed to the court to seek intervention from the Probation Service to give the girl guidance saying that was the parents’ wish.

However, Judge Ni Chonduin said the girl had been “deprived of an education, she is here nine years. It is very sad to see a 16-year-old girl here, someone who should have a future and does not have one.”

“These people are living in the 19th century, who came here presumably for a better future but what are they doing? Living their old ways here.”

She then went on to say the girl “is being reared by her parents and has been given no opportunity to anything else than this.”

“I am sickened to hear that she has been here since 1999 and has not been let go to school.”

In relation to evidence that the girl had failed to give a parent’s contact phone number to the Garda, the judge said that, “She is doing what she is told, this is deliberate; it makes me mad.”

She warned that the girl was facing a custodial sentence. However, she agreed to adjourn sentencing to allow time for a probation report on the teenager, who now lives outside of Dublin, to be furnished to the court.

The judge also said there would have to be 100 per cent co-operation with the Probation Service and the girl would have to make sure to turn up for her sentence hearing. “She is being provided with a solicitor for free on legal aid and an interpreter. There is no reason why she should not be here.”

Remanding the girl on bail to appear again in April she said “It really sickens me to see a child like this, it is neglect, abuse, it’s not right.”

The girl then left with her parents who did not respond to the judge’s comments.