A couple have been remanded in custody on child cruelty charges after their nine-year-old daughter was discovered with serious injuries at her home in north Dublin.
The girl was rushed to Temple Street Children’s Hospital on July 2nd and is still receiving treatment.
Gardaí began an investigation and earlier this week arrested the mother and father who are aged in their thirties.
The parents were brought to separate garda stations where they were charged and held pending their appearance before Judge Bernadette Owens at Dublin District Court on Friday.
Detective Garda Aoife O’Brien told the court she arrested the woman at 12.15pm on Wednesday under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act. She was brought to Coolock garda station where she was charged just after 10.30pm on Thursday.
She faces two charges under Section 246 of the Children’s Act including allegedly treating the child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to her health or to seriously affect her well being. She was also charged with failing to seek medical assistance for the girl for a head injury.
Detective Garda O’Brien said the woman made no reply to the charges.
The detective applied for her to be remanded in custody pending the preparation of a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions. “There is a possibility of further charges,” she added.
Defence counsel James Egan told the court there was no application for bail at this time.
The judge acceded to a request from the barrister to order a psychiatric evaluation of his client.
Legal aid was also granted after counsel said she did not work and was a “stay at home mother”.
The barrister also told the court the woman had “no experience of the Irish criminal justice system or any criminal justice system”.
Detective Sgt Eoin McDonnell told the court the man was arrested and charged at Balbriggan garda station on Thursday night after which he made no reply.
He faces a single charge, also under Section 246 of the Children Act for treatment of the child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury to her health or seriously affect her well being.
He was also granted legal aid.
Both were remanded in custody and will appear in court again on August 14th next.
Judge Owens ordered the defendants not be identified in reports of the court proceedings.