Criminal gangs are targeting vulnerable girls in State care by inviting them to ‘parties’ where they are plied with alcohol and drugs and raped by predatory men, the Irish Mail on Sunday has learned.
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Mail → target → Sunday
The revelation comes as disturbing details emerged this week of a shocking case in which a secure-care place could not be found for a 14-year-old girl who had been subjected to ‘horrifying’ sexual exploitation by multiple men.
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who → come → men
Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dáil the Government is working on the ‘very serious and deeply worrying case’, saying the fundamental issue lies in staffing shortages for specialised care spaces.
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issue → tell → spaces
However, the director of the Sexual Exploitation Research and Policy (SERP) Institute this weekend warned organised crime groups are deliberately targeting vulnerable children in the care of the State.
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groups → warn → State
Ruth Breslin told the MoS: ‘This case [the 14-year-old in Tusla care] is not an isolated case.
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case → tell → care
We had many concerns when we did our research in 2022, and those concerns remain, unfortunately.
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concerns → have → 2022
The risk to children in the care of State being sexually exploited persists.
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risk → exploit → State
We also have criminal exploitation that affects mostly boys.
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that → have → boys
When I read about this case I immediately thought of another similar case from when we were doing our research, which was co-authored by Prof Marie Keenan and Dr Mary Canning.
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which → read → Keenan
'Predators can spot vulnerability and these children and young people are the most vulnerable.
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children → spot → vulnerability
‘This case this week echoes other similar cases, and we remain very concerned the most vulnerable children are being targeted by these organised criminal networks.’
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children → echo → networks
Explaining how some of the gangs operate, Ms Breslin said members ‘would get to know where a residential care facility was and target girls they found to be living there’.
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they → explain → girls
In some cases, they would ‘arrange to meet the girls outside in their cars’ before taking them to ‘parties in private residences or even hotels’ where a ‘group of men’ would be waiting.
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group → arrange → men
‘Often, drink and drugs [are] involved,’ Ms Breslin said, adding some children are provided for groups of predatory men who pay for ‘sexual access to them’.
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who → involve → them
In other cases, paedophiles are motivated by ‘monetary gain’ by ‘passing them round friends’.
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paedophiles → motivate → friends
Sources also said gardaí have dealt with cases involving teenage girls and boys in State care who end up ‘escorting’ after they were targeted on dating apps.
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they → say → apps
Gardaí said some female minors get ‘sucked into the drug scene and are then getting exploited into working off their debt’.
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minors → say → debt
Gardaí said some female minors get ‘sucked into the drug scene and are then getting exploited into working off their debt’
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minors → say → debt
A source told the MoS: ‘There is a complete subculture of this [predatory] behaviour happening online.
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source → tell → behaviour
Some of these [predatory] men meet on forums/dating apps.
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Some → meet → apps
‘But I suppose because a lot of this makes its way through the courts with reporting restrictions, society in general do not realise the gravity and volume of it.’
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society → suppose → it
The High Court this week heard how the aforementioned 14-year-old girl was approached by men who took her to a house in another county and gave her alcohol, cocaine and other drugs to ‘relax’ her.
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who → hear → her
A barrister for the State child and family agency told the court it is seeking a special-care order for the girl but is currently unable to provide her with a bed in any of its three special-care units.
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it → tell → units
Special care is the most secure form of care for children aged between 11 and 17 whose behaviour puts them or others at extreme risk.
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behaviour → age → risk
A High Court order is required to detain a child in special care.
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order → require → care
Judge John Jordan called the case ‘abhorrent’ and said the child should ‘immediately’ be provided with a bed in the system.
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child → call → system
In the Dáil, Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide, said it is ‘utterly shameful’ that children ‘who have already suffered extreme adversity are being subjected to appalling abuse and exploitation while in State care’.
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who → say → care
In response, the Taoiseach said ‘the fundamental issue is a shortage of staff in terms of being in a position to open all 26 special-care beds’.
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issue → say → beds
Mr Martin insisted: ‘It is not for the want of funding or supports but in a very core, complex number of cases the recruitment of staff has proven to be extremely difficult, but the Government is continuing to work on this and on this case.’
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Government → insist → case
Earlier this year, the MoS highlighted how paedophiles were targeting minors in State care.
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paedophiles → highlight → care
SERP said it remains very concerned the most vulnerable children are being targeted by these organised criminal networks
This came after a Child Law Project report revealed a teenage girl, who absconded from the Special Emergency Arrangement (SEA) she was staying in, had been gang raped by ‘five middle-aged men’ in Dublin city.
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she → say → city
Three years ago, this newspaper also revealed how criminal gangs are targeting children in State care who have been trafficked into the country to work as sex slaves.
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who → reveal → slaves
In one case, a 14-year-old girl had been trafficked here from West Africa and was abducted by a criminal gang tracking her movements within minutes of entering State care.
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girl → traffic → care
She was found more than a year later locked in a brothel, where she had been forced to work as a sex slave.
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she → find → slave
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) this week criticised Government efforts to fight human trafficking.
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Commission → criticise → trafficking
Citing a new US Department of State report which found Ireland does not fully meet the minimum standards for the ‘elimination of trafficking’, IHREC Chief Commissioner Liam Herrick said the Government ‘must address the serious inadequacies in access to accommodation for victims of trafficking that are identified in this report’.
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that → cite → report
Predators can spot vulnerability and these children and young people are the most vulnerable
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children → spot → vulnerability
In response to queries from the MoS, the IHREC called cases of vulnerable and trafficked children being targeted by criminal gangs ‘deeply concerning’ and which ‘highlight the serious risks faced by children in the care system’.
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which → call → system
A spokeswoman said: ‘Our recent report on child trafficking in Ireland found significant gaps in the identification and protection of children at risk of trafficking, including children in the care system.
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report → say → system
Ultimately, Ireland must ensure that vulnerable children are identified, protected and supported before they fall through the gaps.’
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they → ensure → gaps
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
