Judge urges HSE involvement for pregnant teen

A judge today urged the lawyer of a 15-year-old pregnant Romanian girl, who is charged with a shoplifting offence and living in Ireland without her parents, to get the HSE involved in her case.

The girl, who claims to be married and has been living in Ireland for the past 18 months, had pleaded guilty at the Children’s Court to stealing the jeans, from the Topman shop in the Jervis Shopping Centre, in central Dublin, on December 12 last.

She stole them as a Christmas present for her brother, the court had heard.

Defence solicitor Mr Gareth Noble told Judge Aingeal Ní Chondúin today that a pre-sentence probation report had raised concerns about the girl. Her aunt, with whom she resides, in west Dublin, was not present for the case and her parents live in Italy.

He said the case could be brought to the district court dealing with child welfare.

He asked the court to adjourn the case to allow time for the HSE to be contacted and to allow them to carry out an assessment of the girl’s situation.

“According to the probation report she is married,” the judge said.

Speaking via an interpreter the girl said she was “but not officially, we are traditionally married, that means I have a boyfriend”.

Judge Ní Chondúin agreed to adjourn the heavily pregnant girl’s case until next month but said that added that she wanted the family to “take this matter very seriously”.

The judge also threatened to issue a bench warrant for the girl’s aunt who is said to be acting as her guardian and added that the court would do so on the next occasion if she was absent.

“On the next date I want to know who had been contacted about this child, in other words I want progress all around. If the HSE is to be involved, involve them,” she told Mr Noble.

“I want family present in court, her aunt I am told is responsible for her. Is she her guardian? Do we have anything to vouch for that? She could be my aunt for all I know,” the judge said as she remanded the girl on continuing bail.