Father seeks temporary custody of child over allegations of abuse

By Darragh McCann, The Wicklow People

Temporary custody of a child has been sought by his father after the child allegedly made claims of abuse against his mother and her partner, which are now the subject of garda and Tusla involvement.

The father appeared at an in-camera family law sitting of Bray District Court seeking temporary custody of his son, after alleging that the child had made abuse accusations against his mother and her partner.

The court heard that the father contacted two garda stations to alert them to claims made by his son. Gardaí were also said to have carried out a welfare check at the father’s home.

Solicitor for the father, Finola Freehill, requested that custody be temporarily transferred to him pending the investigation of the alleged criminal matters.

Dermot Hickey, solicitor for the mother, told the court that his client wished to have her son returned to her care.

The court was told that similar allegations were made in 2022, with Tusla finding no wrongdoing at that time. The child was described as a “well-adjusted young man”.

Ms Freehill noted that on the day of the hearing the child had met with his mother and stated that he wished to go and stay with his father.

Judge David Kennedy outlined a summary of the past proceedings, describing it as “regrettable that his parents cannot get over their personal issues”.

The father alleged that his son disclosed to him that his mother hits him, adding that the boy told him, “that’s why I have my bruises”.

He further alleged that the child said his mother’s partner twisted his arm behind his back to “hurt him”, with the most recent incident said to have occurred over the Christmas period.

Ms Freehill informed Bray District Court that the child also alleged his mother emptied out a box of his things and forced him to clean them up.

It was further alleged that the child told his father that his mother only speaks to him in a language that he is not fluent in, which he said confuses him as he does not understand all of the words.

Solicitor for the father said the allegations must be taken seriously as Tusla had become involved.

Mr Hickey told the court that the allegations were “nothing but commentary”.

Judge Kennedy directed that the child be returned to his mother’s care and adjourned the matter until a date in February.