A 14-year-old girl regularly sexually exploited by men and deemed to be at “the highest level of vulnerability” must be placed in a secure-care unit immediately, a High Court judge has ordered.
At the High Court last week, Mr Justice John Jordan was told the teenager has regularly absconded from emergency accommodation arranged by Tusla , the Child and Family Agency. This placed her at risk of serious harm, including sexual exploitation.
Seeking an order to detain the girl at a secure care unit, Tusla’s barrister, Paul Gunning, said a Garda chief superintendent who reviewed the girl’s case during a recent absconsion said she was at the “highest level of vulnerability”.
Highly troubled and vulnerable children aged 11 to 17 can be detained in a secure care unit, known as special care, on foot of a High Court order sought by Tusla.
RM Block
Mr Gunning said it would be several days before a bed would be available at a secure-care facility to accommodate the girl.
Mr Justice Jordan said the teen was being exploited on a daily basis and, with Tusla unable to immediately place her in secure care, it was likely she would suffer further exploitation before her admission to the facility.
Based on the evidence submitted to the court, the judge said the girl “is being exploited to an extraordinary extent”. He said the girl has been the victim of a “very dysfunctional home” and that her parents have significant issues.
In addition to being sexually exploited, the girl has engaged in drug-taking, self-harm and has not been in education since primary school, the judge noted. These issues require therapeutic intervention, the judge said.
Mr Justice Jordan granted the special care order sought by Tusla to detain the teenager in special care. He also granted an order permitting An Garda Síochána to search for the girl and deliver her into Tusla’s custody.
“I’ll expect this child to be taken out of significant harm’s way – described by a senior member of An Garda Síochána as the highest level of vulnerability – without any delay whatsoever,” the judge said.
Opening a sworn statement provided to the court by a social worker, Mr Gunning said the teenager had been subject to “stark” instances of sexual exploitation.
According to the statement, the girl’s removal from her emergency accommodation was often facilitated by men.
After absconding from her emergency accommodation earlier this summer, the girl was located in the early hours of the morning, barefoot, wearing pyjamas and in a distressed state.
On another occasion, after being located at a train station by gardaí following an absconsion, the girl disclosed to a social worker that she had been sexually exploited by several men.
The teenager’s case will return to court this week for review.
