Court too lenient to youth attacker, says victim's mother

The mother of a 13-year-old boy, who was left traumatised and needing surgery after an unprovoked attack, has criticised the courts saying there has been too much leniency for her son's attacker.

The 17-year-old youth has pleaded guilty at the Children's Court to assault causing harm to the boy, in north Dublin, on October 25, 2008.

In January the court had made an order that the teenage was to pay €1,500 in compensation to the victim.

Today the youth, who was accompanied to his case by his mother, was back before the court.

Judge Elizabeth MacGrath was told that there was still €215 which had yet to be paid and adjourned the case until September.

The victim's mother was also present for the case and said she felt that the accused was being treated leniently, had received help from the Probation and Welfare Service and the court, while her son received none. She also added that she felt the accused was laughing at her.

In a letter handed in to court in January she had already detailed the “serious repercussions of the attack.” Her son has had an operation and would have to under go more surgery to his nose.

The victim had been “traumatised”, “he does not go out now and suffers headaches” as a result of the attack.

The mother had also expressed in her letter that support was given to the offender but not to the victim. At a later stage she had said her son was making a recovery, but had added that it was a slow one.

Garda Mark O’Brien, of Howth station, had told the court earlier that the 13-year-old victim had been crossing a road when the accused “struck him in the face.”

The boy received a punch to the nose and had to go to Temple Street Children’s Hospital. Garda O’Brien also said that the teenage defendant “thought he was some lad he had a previous altercation with and after he realised his mistake, he went back to apologise.”

Counsel for the youth, a first time offender, who is taking part in a training course, had told the court that he was remorseful, intended to pay the compensation and follow directions set in a Probation Service's action plan.