Funeral takes place of boy (2) found dead in Dublin

Hassan Khan, the two-year-old boy who was found dead in his home in south Dublin last week, was buried in Dublin today.

The boy's body was found by gardaí in a top-floor apartment in the Ridge Hall complex at Shanganagh Road, Ballybrack, last Thursday afternoon after the alarm was raised. The toddler had suffered stab wounds to his upper body. His mother, Hazel Waters (46), appeared in court charged with his murder, on Saturday.

His small white coffin with golden handles and a bouquet of flowers on top was brought into the mosque at the Islamic Cultural Centre in Clonskeagh and placed to one side before midday prayers began.

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Dr Saleem Khan (left), father of Hassan Khan, pictured with other mourners at the funeral of his 2-year-old son Hassan Khan. Photograph: Collins.

Imam Hussein Halawa led the prayers in front of some 200 men and about 30 women and children who prayed in the women's area upstairs.

A few minutes later, the coffin was placed in front of the congregation and the brief funeral service, or janaza, got underway. Hassan Khan's father Dr Saleem Khan was the chief mourner while relatives and friends of Ms Waters, including her sister and brother-in-law, were also among the mourners.

Dr Khan was quickly surrounded by male mourners who lined up to sympathise when the prayers ended. After the mourners had sympathised with Dr Khan, they gathered around the coffin again to pray before it was carried from the mosque.

Gardaí stopped the traffic to allow the mourners to leave the mosque afterwards for the burial which was held at Newcastle cemetery in Co Dublin.

Ms Waters was remanded in custody when she appeared at a special sitting of Dublin District Court on Saturday. She is due to make a second court appearance on Wednesday.

The court heard that Ms Waters had specifically asked not to be assessed psychiatrically but the court ruled that it should be considered while she remained on remand.