Boy facing litany of charges needs psychiatric report, court hears

Psychological and psychiatric reports have been sought by lawyers for a 15-year-old boy, who is in court charged in connection with incidents at a controversial care unit for young people.

The boy, who cannot be named because he is a juvenile, appeared again at Dublin Children’s Court to face a litany of allegations, including two fresh criminal damage charges.

It is claimed that the incidents, including an alleged assault and an incident in which a fire was started, occurred at the Ballydowd Special Care Unit.

The facility in Lucan, Co Dublin, is a secure therapeutic centre where children with emotional and behavioural difficulties are held by order of the High Court because they pose a serious risk to themselves or others.

Up to ten children between the ages of 11 and 17 can be cared for at the centre, which was the subject of a critical report earlier this month following an inspection by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa).

Hiqa found that children had to urinate on the floor of their locked room because they were not allowed out to go to the bathroom.

The report found that some children were kept in isolation, termed “single separation”, for unnecessarily long periods.

The boy was accompanied to his hearing at Dublin Children’s Court by staff from the centre and his barrister .

It is alleged that, on September 1st, he damaged a fire door, a floor and walls; that on Monday, August 31st, he damaged a door; and that he damaged windows three days previously.

He is also charged with causing criminal damage by fire to wood panelling on August 3rd.

Alleged assault

He faced two new charges for damaging a window pane at the care centre on Friday, September 25th, and panes of glass on a door and wallpaper at the facility on September 7th last.

The teenager also faces older charges for assaulting a female at the centre and for damaging windows there on a date in February.

Judge John O’Connor heard that the defence are awaiting psychiatric and psychological reports on the youth.

The case was adjourned for four weeks.