The now 19-year-old defendant, a recovering heroin addict, had been charged at
the Dublin Children's Court under section 7 of the Criminal Law Sexual Offences
Act for loitering in a public place with intent to solicit or importune another
person for the purposes of prostitution, at Stoneybatter, D7, on January 3,
2005.
She was 17 years old at the time of the offence.
Prosecuting Garda Mathew McKenna of the Bridewell Garda Station applied to have
the case against the young woman struck out.
Presiding Judge Angela Ni Chonduin was told that Garda McKenna had been
instrumental in getting social services to intervene and to provide help to the
young woman.
Defence solicitor Catherine Ghent detailed the young woman's background for the
court telling the judge that the girl came from an exceptionally dysfunctional
background: her mother was a heroin addict; there was violence in the home; she
had been taken to England by a 26-year-old man against her and her family's
wishes at the age of 16; he had injected her with heroin; throughout childhood
she had to look after a sibling and her mother and though she is a recovering
addict her mother still pressures her to take heroin.
She "had to fend for herself from a young age", said Ms Ghent.
"In 2004, I wrote to the Minister for Health and Children, to relay concerns
that had been brought to my attention," said Ms Ghent.
"She was 16 at the time. At that stage she had a boyfriend who was aged 26. She
would have been below the age of consent. He had a very serious malevolent
influence over her."
