Magistrate berates authorities over lack of help for youths

If a boy charged with slightly injuring his mother had been given more attention by his parents and the authorities then he probably would not have ended up in court, a magistrate said yesterday.

The boy, 17, admitted to slightly injuring his mother and was put on probation for three years.

In handing down judgment, Magistrate Anthony Vella highlighted the lack of resources in the juvenile court for dealing with young people with behavioural problems.

He said that despite many recommendations made to the authorities asking them to intervene to provide more help to young people, no action had yet been taken.

He called on the authorities to implement the recommendations made by the Commissioner for Children in 2007 so that young people living in a difficult environment would be given help rather than throwing criminal accusations against them.

The boy, who is not being named because he is a minor, slightly injured his mother in an argument over a €20 note that had gone missing from his bedroom. The incident took place on Saturday morning at around 7.30 a.m.

The youngster had approached his mother to ask her if she knew anything about the missing money. They had an argument and when it escalated he flew into a rage and pushed a table at her.

The boy told the court that he had finally been on the right track only for him to lose his job and this incident to take place.

He said he had been suffering from depression and his probation officer had given up on him.

The magistrate said that if the boy's parents and the authorities had given more attention to the boy then, perhaps, he wouldn't be in court.

Magistrate Vella considered the circumstances of the case and handed down a three-year probationary period.

He also ordered that a note of the proceedings be sent to the Ministry of Social Policy, the Justice Ministry and the Children's Commissioner.