A disturbing case of sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy against a number of younger girls came to light at a district court week and has led to strong criticism of the Midland Health Board.
The parties involved in the case may not be named to protect the identity of the teenager and his victims. The health board has refused to comment on the case or on its general policy when such matters are reported to it.
The boy, now almost 16, devised an elaborate plan to commit repeated sexual assaults on girls ranging in age from eight to 10. He was sentenced to two years in an institution for young offenders.
There was evidence the boy had formed a "club" with young girls from the community with its own "rule book". The "club" involved practices whereby he engaged in sexual acts with one victim at a time, using a whistle and a stopwatch as part of his "game". He intimidated his victims to keep the assaults secret, the court heard.
Twelve sexual assaults, including penetration, took place against a number of girls in the boy's bedroom between 1999 and 2000, sometimes while an unsuspecting parent of the victim was also in the boy's home.
The boy told the court he got his ideas from television programmes, which was rejected by the judge as not the full truth.
After complaints had been made to the authorities, sexual assaults continued. Although the boy's family contacted the parents of some victims, other parents were not told and unwittingly exposed their children to further sexual assaults.
It was said in court that the sexual assaults were reported on April 15th and that three weeks later, nothing had been done. The victims' parents then went to the Garda. "The health board never took this seriously and it became a running battle with them," one parent told the court.
The parents of some of the victims said their lives had been ruined by the events and outlined the financial, social and personal costs, including sleepless nights and suicidal acts.
The victims' parents also said in court they did not believe the words of remorse and attempted explanations and apologies from either the boy or his parents.
The judge urged the youth to help the authorities to help him further. "Master ... must accept once and for all that he has to deal with this honestly and fully if he's going to not be a threat to other women in the future," Judge John Neilan said, adding that it was a "long, sorry, sordid tale".
The boy told the court he was "sorry for all the hurt I caused. I realise now how serious it was." To the end of the hearing, he insisted he got his ideas from the television in his room and that it was the feeling of power over the girls which motivated him.
A number of parents addressed the court and attacked what they said appeared to be the "indifference" of the boy's parents. They also criticised the health board. "The Midland Health Board was as much to blame," one parent said. A parent of one victim was angry that for two weeks after social workers had visited the boy's home and spoken to one of his parents, her daughter was still allowed into the house by his parents.
By the time of last week's hearing, the boy had been through at least two dozen sessions with professionals and there was a number of reports before the court.
Judge Neilan asked: "Is it or was it not possible for the professionals to see what the potential of this person to commit these acts was?" Later he told the health board it must "listen to the complaints that are flowing from this courtroom and act on them".
A senior garda said in evidence that the incidents led to a "highly charged" atmosphere and "absolute hatred and resentment" in the neighbourhood.
Sentencing the boy to two years detention, Judge Neilan said the teenager must make a decision himself to come forward and give more details of how he came to behave in this way, other than claiming it was a result of watching television. It saddened him "to think that these young people have been tainted at such a young age".
A spokeswoman for the Midland Health Board said the authority did not comment on childcare cases or court cases. She would comment neither on the case nor on the board's general policy when such allegations were made.