Story: Inishowen Independent
PARENTS FROM Inishowen who allow their teenagers
under the age of 18 to wander around the streets in
the early hours of the morning are facing the
possibility of being reported to Social Services for
child abuse, Gardai have warned.
Speaking to the Inishowen Independent yesterday
Sergeant John O’Keeffe said that Gardai in Buncrana
had already contacted Social Services in relation to
a number of incidents recently in which young
teenagers were found to be roaming the streets in
the early hours of the morning.
“We are very concerned about the number of children
aged between 11 and 15 who are out on the streets
until the early hours of the morning and we would
like to remind parents that under the Children’s Act
2001 they are still children until they are 18.”
The local sergeant said that young people wandering
the streets in the early hours were often witnesses
to drunken assaults and other unsavoury incidents.
“We are concerned that some people might be coming
into towns at night and bringing children that they
allow to run around the streets while they go off
for a drink. We would stress however that if they do
that they can be reported for a form of child abuse
to Social Services.”
Sergeant O’Keefe said local Gardai had already
reported one or two issues to Social Services in
recent weeks.
“I’m sure the last thing parents want is to be
reported for child abuse to Social Services so we
want parents to realise they must not allow these
young people to run around unaccompanied in the
early hours of the morning,” he concluded. |
