Garda probe into cases not pursued
A GARDA investigative team are conducting a root and branch probe into how many cases involving juvenile and adult offenders were not pursued in County Wexford between 2010 and 2017.
A comprehensive garda report found that 3,500 children nationally got away with committing almost 8,000 crimes, including serious crimes, over a seven-year period because gardaí did not do their jobs properly.
Many of the youths involved were repeat offenders.
The report shows the juvenile offenders, the majority of whom were already known to gardaí, should have been prosecuted, but were not. More than 3,400 victims were affected by these crimes and An Garda Síochána is to write to them to apologise and offer support.
The garda Youth Referrals Scheme from 2010 to 2017 report prompted Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to issue a public apology when he appeared before the Policing Authority. He said the work of 3,400 gardaí across the country is being examined by chief superintendents, including in County Wexford, to see whether or not disciplinary measures are required, adding that the vast majority of cases are concentrated in very busy city divisions. Commissioner Harris said most of the children were habitual, recidivist child criminals, juvenile offenders already well known to gardaí.
He said each of these cases should have been investigated and gardaí have let society and the individuals involved down by not fulfilling their obligations to them.
Chief Superintendent for the Wexford Garda division, Paddy McMenamin said an extensive probe into cases which were not followed up on and in which Wexford based gardaí failed to act is under way. He said no final figures for the county are available, adding that most of the cases involve ‘low level stuff ’.
The report found that three quarters of the crimes committed by juveniles (aged under 18) and which were not properly investigated relate to public order, theft, traffic and criminal damage, but also included are 55 serious crimes, including the rape of a woman, another serious sexual offence and a case of child neglect.
Supt McMenamin said: ‘It was over a specific period of time. We have some and we are dealing with the victims. I don’t see it as a major problem, but that is not to say there weren’t some serious cases where there were victims. We have had to look at every case on an indi- vidual basis.’
He said an investigation is being internally conducted, examining the cases.
‘The problem was identified by An Garda Síochána and the actions taken to resolve it are being taken by gardaí.’
He said there were several reasons behind why the failure to bring prosecutions occurred.
‘I am not going to point the finger at one particular reason. It was a complex system, the Juvenile Liaison Scheme, but changes have been made to the system and the new IT system will help. Taking into consideration the number of cases nationally there were a very small number which were not pursued.’
Reassuring the public that checks and balances have been put in place, Supt McMenamin said: ‘We would hope there won’t be a re-occurence but it’s natural to have a human element and human failings come into it also. We are still working on the list and have a team in place.’