Dublin: Ireland's Shame: Antisocial Boy (15) Homeless After Neighbours Threaten To Decapitate Him: *UPDATED

A 15-YEAR-OLD Dublin boy has been left with nowhere to live after members of his community allegedly threatened to shoot or decapitate him because of his criminal activities.

HELPLINES:
www.letsomeoneknow.ie  & www.teenline.ie & www.spunout.ie 
www.aware.ie & www.3ts.ie & www.console.ie & www.youngminds.org.uk

His anti-social behaviour has plunged his family life into turmoil and, due to the shortage of spaces in juvenile detention centres, a judge was also unable to remand him in custody yesterday.

Dublin Children's Court heard that the boy, who has a drug addiction problem, has been blamed for stealing by angry neighbours who told him not to return to their area.

The teenager faces separate charges for criminal damage to a car and possessing a knife as well as a wooden pole as weapons, during an incident at the home of extended family members in August.

The boy's mother wept and told Judge O'Connor that her son had injured himself on Monday and had to get 13 staples to a head wound.

"Every neighbour is blaming him for robbing from their house. I don't know what will happen," she said. She told the court that it would be impossible for the youth to come home with her. The teen cried as his mother described how he has been blamed for stealing from one local family who want their property back.

"These people are not people to mess with," she said. She said that she was afraid for her own safety and that of her other children.

His grandmother said she loved him but also said she could not have him in her home any more. Locals want her evicted because of the boy's activities, Judge O'Connor was told.

Her voice trembled as she said that she has been told that the boy "was going to be shot" and "going to be decapitated" if he returned to the area. The boy interrupted, saying: "I will not be shot, let them try to shoot me, I'll sort them out".

He agreed with defence solicitor Michelle Finan that his family loved him and wanted the best for him; he also said he needed to go to counselling, "to see people to help my head".

Throughout the proceedings he begged his family members to take him back but they said that was impossible due to the alleged threats that have been made against his life.

At one point when they refused, he suddenly rammed his forehead into his fists and burst into tears.

(Editor's comment: Yet again, the state has failed a TROUBLED TEENAGER:

Yet again, a child has been consigned to the dustbin, to live and die on the streets of our capital city.

Yet again, DRUG ADDICTION has claimed another child-victim.

Yet again, this lousy country has abandoned A CHILD to the gutter and the most squalid and terrible existence, while it may last.

A CHILD's LIFE AND A DEATH ON THE STREETS OF DUBLIN CITY.
SHAME UPON IRELAND AND THE IRISH PEOPLE).
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*UPDATE ADDITION: + More HELPLINES:

School curriculums need A “built-in system” of mental health education, the founder of Console has said.

Paul Kelly said that Irish schools need more programmes where children are taught about, and how to handle, mental health issues.
He said that the ‘fragmented’ and ‘overstretched’ state of services means that, in some cases, children might not know who to turn to. There may also be delays in seeking professional help.
Kelly told TheJournal.ie:

Young people need to realise that it’s quite normal to face difficulties, and that, above all, there’s hope. They should always feel comfortable talking them through.

“Better education would mean we can better identify who is at risk, and to be able to ensure they can get the support they need.”
Kelly noted that in many schools, cuts have affected the role of the guidance counsellor, who previously would have acted as a point of contact for children facing issues:
“Those roles have been diminished. Cutbacks have badly affected these people on the front-line who would acted as a point-of-contact for children seeking help.”
He was speaking after the body of a 15-year-old girl was found in south Dublin yesterday. The incident is being treated by gardaí as a personal tragedy.
There has been contact between the girl’s school, Cabinteely Community School, and the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) in order to provide psychological services to anyone affected.
“Our sympathies go out to the whole family, the school, the parents,” Kelly said, “This can be hugely traumatising for a school community.”
Local Fianna Fáil councillor Jennifer Cuffe echoed Kelly’s call for increased support for school guidance counsellors, and said that improving services nationally needs to be made a priority.
“It’s not high on the agenda,” she said. “We have to be able to help people in difficult situations and to ensure that the stigma behind mental health is removed.”
Helplines

• Samaritans 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

• Console 1800 247 247 – (suicide prevention, self-harm, bereavement)
• Aware 1890 303 302 (depression anxiety)
• Pieta House 01 601 0000 or email mary@pieta.ie - (suicide, self-harm, bereavement)
• Teen-Line Ireland 1800 833 634 (for ages 13 to 19)
• Childline 1800 66 66 66 (for under 18s)
  

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