Billy (14) was, a paediatrician at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin said, "horrifically sexually abused" between the ages of two and five. The abuse, which involved full anal penetration on an almost daily basis over protracted periods, came to light when he was nine.
The abuse happened when his parents, who were living in England, had sent the children for family holidays at home in Ireland, and a relative had taken advantage of the position to abuse Billy.
As soon as they found out his parents, Frank and Carol, set about getting their son "the help he needed". They say he didn't receive it.
After the extent of the sexual abuse was validated in 1995 at the child sexual abuse validation and treatment unit in Our Lady's Hospital, Billy got one day's counselling.
"After that," says Frank, "they said `If you have any more problems get back to us'. We found ourselves up at the Eastern Health Board looking for help almost every day. Didn't get it.
"Billy was acting up big time," he goes on, "being sent home from school and getting involved with the gardai."
"Then," continues Carol, "Billy cut his wrists. All of a sudden there was an emergency appointment for him."
At about that time Billy, then 11, appeared before Dun Laoghaire District Court on arson charges. He was referred to St Michael's assessment and child development clinic in Finglas. He was to have stayed for three weeks but remained for 13 months.
"It was as if they didn't have to bother about him any more," says Carol. "He was visited by his social worker after eight months. And there was no counselling for the abuse."
Billy's case came before the High Court in January 1998 and he was sent to Newtown House, a special care unit in Co Wicklow. Frank and Carol were delighted. "We thought finally he'd be getting the help he needed," says Carol.
However, when another resident knocked out his bedroom window all the children were locked into their rooms for a week. Billy absconded several times and on each occasion was returned by Frank. "No social worker went looking for him".
Distressed at Billy's lack of progress at Newtown House, Carol and Frank had him assessed by Dr Ann O'Donovan, consultant child psychiatrist at the Lucena Clinic.
She concluded in her report of December 23rd, 1998, that account was not being taken of how distressed Billy became in situations including "restraint/time out and a locked bedroom . . . The locked bedroom is a major source of upset for Billy given his past history." (Billy was sexually abused in a locked bedroom.)
In June this year he was sent to the St Laurence Centre in Finglas where the staff, says Carol, were "absolutely brilliant".
"But it wasn't secure, and after about three months he started to run. We brought him back, and the Eastern Health Board brought him back to the High Court."
He is now detained in Trinity House, a centre for juvenile criminal boys.
In June last year his parents instituted court proceedings based on their concerns about the quality of care at Newtown House. They also expressed their concerns to the Minister of State for Children, Ms Mary Hanafin, in February. She said she could do nothing after the courts had rejected their case.
Following the death of Kim O'Donovan, a 15-year-old girl who died in a B & B a month after absconding from Newtown House, the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, ordered a full inquiry into the unit.