Juvenile is ‘constantly absconding’ from State care, Kildare court told
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A teenage boy is 'constantly absconding' from State care, according to social care workers.
The comments were made to Judge Desmond Zaidan at Naas District Court on Thursday, October 12 last.
Defending barrister Aisling Murphy told the judge that the workers were 'concerned about his behaviour.'
The juvenile defendant had been accused of assaulting a member of staff at the care home he currently resides in.
When asked by Judge Zaidan how long he has been in State care, the boy told him: "For 11 years."
He also said that he no longer attends school.
When the judge asked him why he was put into State care in the first place, he said that his father died when he was young, and that his mother suffered from substance abuse issues at the time.
"Do you have any skills at the moment?" the judge asked him, to which he responded: "No."
However, when the boy said that he wanted to do a barber's course, the judge told him: "You should, it's a good profession, you'll never run out of work."
Judge Zaidan then asked the boy: "If they (the State) got you a place in a barber's course, would you take it?"
"Yes," the boy replied.
The boy also told the judge that one issue he had with State care is that he alleged that the State care were stopping him from leaving the centre to visit his family and friends, who are in another county.
This prompted Judge Zaidan to respond: "Well, you only have a short amount of time left in State care, so take up the course before you leave."
Speaking directly to a social worker present in the courtroom, Judge Zaidan said: "He doesn't know how vulnerable he is... I don't want him to become another statistic."
At this point, the social worker stood up and told the judge: "He doesn't want help from us. He is constantly throwing food and drinks at us, has assaulted staff and threatened staff.
"A risk assessment was carried out on him and it was determined that he shouldn't be left alone in a car with a social worker."
When the social worker claimed that he was taking cannabis and possibly other illegal drugs, the boy denied this, and said: "I'm willing to do a drug test."
The judge told the boy: "We all want to help you, but you need to help us halfway."
He adjourned the case to a date in November for hearing.
At the end of the court session, Judge Zaidan told the boy: "Remember: life is full of rules that we all have to follow... it's for the smooth running of society as a whole."