A 14-year-old boy who was found “passed out in St Stephen’s Green”, Dublin, after absconding from state care remains “missing”, the High Court has heard.
Mr Justice John Jordan was told how the boy, who was discharged from secure care – known as special care – in May, had absconded from his aftercare placement last month and was missing for 10 days.
He was found passed out, taken to hospital, where he tested positive for drugs, and had absconded again, the court heard.
The absconsions and their length represented a “very rapid deterioration” in the boy’s welfare.
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Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, would be seeking an order for him to be returned to special care, the court was told.
When there is serious concern that a child should be detained for their safety or that of others then Tusla may apply to the High Court for an order for them to be held in one of three special-care units.
Sarah McKechnie, for Tusla, said the boy had just been “spotted” in a town outside Dublin and “gardaí have been notified”. It was “hoped he can be located shortly”, she said.
Social workers had prepared an application to Tusla’s special care committee. It was expected the committee would recommend a High Court application for the boy’s return to special care.
They had the “highest level of concern for him” and wanted him back in special care “as a matter of urgency”, the court heard.
Mr Justice Jordan allowed Tusla to bring an application next Thursday.
The boy’s mother and his guardian ad litem – an independent person appointed by the court to be the child’s voice – could bring an action against Tusla, he said, “if the appropriate action is not taken”.
Separately, a teenage girl with an active wish to become pregnant, who was discharged from special care two weeks early, was missing from her aftercare placement, the court heard.
She had absconded and returned, but was missing again. Her guardian ad litem was “extremely concerned” for her welfare, noting the girl was “so dishevelled” and her hair was “so greasy it looked wet” on last return to her placement.
There were concerns she was not taking her antipsychotic medication.
Tusla said as her case was before the District Court it did not believe a new special care order from the High Court was necessary.
Counsel for her mother said she “cannot understand why” Tusla was not using a media alert to locate the girl. She felt there was an attitude that “this just happens to some children”.
Describing the girl’s case as “very concerning”, the judge said she “may be ... worse than when she first was admitted to special care”.
However, it was before the District Court, though the mother could challenge Tusla if it was not keeping her daughter safe.
The court also heard how a girl who came into special care almost two years ago as “a deeply traumatised 14-year-old” was engaging in self-harm in her unit, including headbanging and fashioning ligatures.
There was “significant worry” about her, said Paul Gunning, for Tusla, who applied for an extension to her care order.
During one evening in the last week staff had made 33 interventions for her safety, he said.
“Clearly her presentation and behaviour has regressed and it is very concerning,” he said.
Mr Justice Jordan granted a three-month extension on the order.
He knew the girl, whom he had met in recent months. “She came into care as a deeply traumatised 14-year-old. She had a traumatic childhood [and has had] difficulties in placements, hospitalisations, self-harming behaviour including ligatures,” he said.
