The High Court has directed gardaí to search for and return to health board custody a missing and disturbed teenage girl who is described as "extremely high risk" and with a history of alcohol and drug abuse and suspected involvement in prostitution.
It is understood the 16-year-old took two overdoses in recent days. She was previously seen in areas of Dublin and was described as looking thin and dishevelled. She was last seen on Thursday and later failed to keep an appointment with Northern Area Health Board (NAHB) staff.
In court yesterday, Mr Gerard Durcan SC, for the girl, urging that what she required was an appropriate secure place, stressed: "My main concern is literally to ensure she is kept alive."
Mr Justice Kearns heard there was no secure place available, but that efforts were being made to see if a place could be found in a secure unit in Scotland.
The NAHB, which last week secured an emergency care order in relation to the girl, said it had no secure place available but, if the girl was found, proposed that she could be placed in a residential unit staffed on a 24-hour basis by care workers.
Mr Durcan said the judge faced an unenviable choice. The only other option was Mountjoy women's prison and he was not applying to have the girl sent there.
Mr Justice Kearns made orders directing gardaí to search for and return the girl to the residential unit proposed, pending determination of whether she might be placed in the Scottish unit.
He said she should be told that if she did not co-operate, the only other option was prison. He returned the case to Tuesday but gave liberty to apply to the court in the interim should an emergency arise.
On July 17th, gardaí concerned for her welfare had detained the girl in Kevin Street Garda station under the Child Care Act.
Two days later, Mr Durcan applied for and secured an order directing the gardaí to deliver up the girl to the NAHB.
The board subsequently went to the District Court and secured an emergency care order.