THE LACK of State psychiatric services for 16- to 18-year-olds saw a troubled teenage boy who was arrested over domestic violence being remanded in custody yesterday.
The 16-year-old Dublin boy was charged at the Children’s Court yesterday with assaulting his mother, possessing a 10-inch knife as a weapon and criminal damage at his family home.
Crying as he was escorted by gardaí into the courtroom, he said: “I’m sorry, Ma.”
Both the teenager and his mother wept throughout the proceedings in which Judge Clare Leonard heard that gardaí called to their house, on Wednesday morning last, following a report that “there was a male going mad”. Garda Enda Daly of Tallaght Garda station told Judge Leonard that the boy’s mother was in a distressed state. Her son had to be restrained and was then taken to Tallaght station.
Defence solicitor Gareth Noble told Judge Leonard that the boy had recently turned 16. Mr Noble said: “Juvenile and adolescent psychiatric services finish at 16; the adult psychiatric services begin at 18.” He added: “There is a shocking gap for 16- and 17-year-olds.” He said the boy had two options. He could be remanded in custody to St Patrick’s Institution, which is the juvenile part of the Mountjoy Prison complex, for a psychiatric assessment. That would result in an action plan which would give assistance to the boy and his parents.
Otherwise, if granted bail, he could present himself at Tallaght AE department and be seen by the resident psychiatrist, who would determine whether or not he should be admitted as an in-patient. Mr Noble told Judge Leonard that if the boy was held in custody for an assessment, that could allow time for efforts to secure a more suitable placement.
Judge Leonard said: “I think that might be best at present,” at which point the distressed teenager asked her not to put him in custody.
Judge Leonard directed that the teenager was to receive medical and psychiatric attention in custody, and remanded him to appear again next week.