MURDERED TEEN Daniel McAnaspie whose sad story triggered some of the recent controversy about deaths of young people in care was mentioned in the Children’s Court in Dublin yesterday.
He had died in “the most horrific circumstances,” his solicitor told the Dublin Children’s Court yesterday. His body, which sustained several stab wounds, was found in a drain, at Rathfeigh, in Co Meath, last month.
The youth, who was in care, had made appearances at the Children’s Court in Dublin. He was not a repeat offender and just faced one charge for stealing a television, which he admitted, from a north Dublin care home where he had been living on December 4th last.
With no prior criminal convictions, he had been on bail pending sentence when he went missing and his court case had been adjourned in his absence.
Yesterday Garda Sgt Séamus Treacy made an application to Judge Catherine Staines for that case to be withdrawn and the judge withdrew the case.
In April, Mr Noble, had given a summary of the boy’s situation to the court. He said a court-appointed guardian ad litem had been hoping that court would make an order for a placement in Sweden in the Hassela Gotland, a special care unit providing therapy and help for extremely troubled teens.
It is located on a remote island in the middle of the Baltic Sea and in recent years two other Irish children have been sent there for help.