Dr alleges Gardaí 'stripped and whipped special needs boy'

An Oireachtas committee has heard allegations that a teenager with special needs was assaulted by officers at a Garda station.

Dr Richard O'Flaherty, a GP in Limerick, made the allegations at the Oireachtas Justice committee.

He said the whistleblowers charter for Gardaí should be extended to doctors who want to reveal allegations of misconduct.

Under parliamentary privilege, he gave one example of how Gardaí had allegedly abused one teenager with special needs.

Dr O'Flaherty said: "A special needs boy was arrested (after) he borrowed his father's car. (He has) the body of a 17-year-old (and) the mind of an eight to 10 (year-old).

"He was taken in, stripped of his pants and underpants, whipped with a belt and told that they arrested his dad also and gave him the same thing."