Man and woman to face trial on child cruelty and neglect charges

A man in his 50s and a woman in her 30s, who were both arrested on Friday are to face trial on charges relating to child cruelty and neglect.

The two accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were arrested at a Garda station at 9am on Friday.

They appeared before a court and were each charged with four counts, contrary to section 246 (1) and (2) of the Children’s Act, 2001.

The court heard these were “additional charges” arising out of an ongoing investigation, after both accused had originally appeared before a court on June 8th.

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On Friday they each faced four counts that, “while being a person having custody of a (named) child, did wilfully ill-treat, neglect, or cause, procure, or allow, the said child to be ill treated and neglected in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering, injury to the child’s health, or seriously to affect the child’s well being”.

The eight counts in total are alleged to have occurred at a named location, on dates between, August 18th, 2014 and April 28th, 2016.

A detective sergeant who arrested the two accused, said neither of the two said anything after they were charged with the offences on Friday.

The garda witness, who is attached to a Garda Protective Services Unit, told the court that the man and the woman had “originally appeared” before a named court “on June 8th last”. He added the Director of Public Prosecutions had on that date directed they each be sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court on a number of charges.

He informed the court today that the DPP had again directed both accused face trial on indictment on today’s additional charges.

A strict court order, imposed last June, was extended today, banning the media from reporting the location of the court, in order to protect the identities of the alleged victims.

The court also extended a ban on reporting the location of the alleged offences as well as reporting the identities of the accused parties and the alleged victims.

The two accused were remanded on bail on the same conditions imposed on June 8th last, it was heard.

Both accused were ordered not to have any contact with any parties involved in the case, including through social media.

They were each ordered to reside only at their home address; signing on once a week at a named Garda station; to surrender their passports and not apply for new travel documentation; be contactable on a mobile phone number which was provided to the court, and have the phone charged and in credit at all times; notify gardaí in writing of any change in their address.

The two accused were remanded to appear before a named court on November 21st, 2019, for service of books of evidence.