An at risk 15-year-old boy is to be placed in secure care amid concerns over his drug abuse.
Mr Justice Tony O'Connor granted orders in the High Court on Thursday sought by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The judge described it as an "awful situation" and paid tribute to those who had been trying to help the teen.
Tusla, represented by Sarah McKechnie BL, told the court that social workers had concerns over the boy’s health and safety.
He has “a serious addiction to drugs” and had been using substances including cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy, counsel said. He had been associating with a crowd of “known drug users” who are older than him, counsel said, and it was feared that he might be in sexual relationships with an older female who was a drug user, and another female.
The teen had been causing criminal damage to property and has become aggressive and agitated. He has also required medical treatment and on one occasion had to be hospitalised for several days.
Gone missing
Counsel said that due to his behaviour, he was unable to live at home with his mother, who was supporting the application. The teen had been put in various non-secure placements, but these all broke down, and he had gone missing 26 times since January.
The court’s order will remain in place for a period of three months and will be reviewed at a later date.
In a separate and unrelated case, Mr Justice O’Connor also granted orders allowing Tusla to keep a teenage girl at a secure placement for a further three months.
Ms McKechnie said the teen, who has serious psychological issues, has been in secure care for over a year which was an unusually long time. However, counsel said the girl is extremely vulnerable and was at risk from self-harm.
Tusla believes it is in the teens best interests that she remain in secure care until she can be transferred to a facility in the UK to receive the specialised care she requires.
The court heard that the teen’s court-appointed guardian was supporting the application and agreed she would not be able to cope if she was released back into the community.
Mr Justice O’Connor agreed to extend the orders for an extra three months and adjourned the case.