On October 21st, gardaí received an email from a member of the public with the subject line “Suspected Child Abduction”. It raised concerns about the physical appearance of a two-year-old child of a Roma family. Gardaí called to the family’s home on October 22nd, and noticed the child was blond, pale, blue-eyed and did not resemble his parents.
Gardaí asked the parents to produce birth certificates. They felt there were discrepancies on them, and asked the family to accompany them to the station. Gardaí were able to confirm the mother had given birth to a boy on the same date indicated on the birth certificate but could not ascertain a physical description of the baby.
Gardaí could not obtain any further information that night and, in light of flight-risk concerns, took custody of the child. In advance of his placement in foster care, the parents were asked if the child had any health needs. The father indicated the child had albinism. The next morning gardaí were in contact with HSE social workers who had been engaging with the child since birth. None of them had any doubts regarding the child’s identity. Gardaí had no further concerns, and the boy was returned to his family that morning.
