GARDAÍ AND the Health Service Executive (HSE) have confirmed they are investigating the alleged taping, on mobile phones, of two young children performing sexually explicit acts.
A Cork woman last night said her four-year-old son and a five-year-old boy were forced to perform oral sex on one another while being filmed by two 12-year-old boys in Mitchelstown about four weeks ago. The woman said she was told about the footage by a neighbour who had seen the video on a mobile phone and she notified the gardaí.
It is alleged that the young boys were told to perform the acts or face being beaten. “I was shocked and I couldn’t believe what I had heard,” the mother of the four-year-old told TV3 News. “I told him he did nothing wrong and it was the big boys who were wrong. No mother wants anything like that done to her child.”
A Garda spokeswoman said the the incident was being investigated and the children involved had been interviewed by specially-trained gardaí.
Investigators are carrying out forensic examinations on the mobile phones allegedly used to film the acts.
A programme which allows material erased from mobile phones to be relocated is also being used to aid the investigation and there is concern the footage may have been passed on to peers of the older children.
The HSE said it had been notified of the incident and its child protection service had begun an investigation. “The HSE is not in a position to make any further comment in order not to jeopardise either investigation,” it said in a statement. “The HSE continues to provide the appropriate support, assistance and intervention to all parties involved.”
The mother of the four-year-old said she was disappointed that no support had been offered to the family following the incident. “There has been no counselling or anything and I want counselling for both of us,” she said.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/65304010-9bcc-4177-b6ba-d54215b7a664.png)