Gardaí fear mother was held captive in Dublin ‘house of horrors' for many years

Irish Times

28-05-2025

The mother of a family living in Dublin may have been kept captive by the father for years in what has been described in court as a 'house of horrors'.
Gardaí are trying to locate the man, who they believe is still in the jurisdiction. They suspect he may have hoarded money he received in social welfare rather than spend it on caring for his family, the Dublin District Childcare Court heard on Wednesday.
The children in the house were taken into care after the authorities were prompted to visit the house, as one of the children had attempted suicide.
Locks on the internal doors in the house, the neglect of the children, and other factors have led to fears the woman was severely restricted in her movements for many years, possibly more than a decade and a half.
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However, questions have arisen about the authorities' responses to concerns raised about the woman's welfare in hospital when giving birth to her children, some of whom are now teenagers.
Judge John Campbell, of the Dublin District Childcare Court, asked for the
Health Service Executive (HSE)
to be represented in court for Wednesday's hearing.
He is concerned that one of the children, a girl with severe difficulties, is about to reach 18 years, after which she will no longer be governed by the Childcare Act.
Solicitor Brian Horkan, for the HSE, told the judge a high-level meeting is to be held later this week with the
Tusla Child and Family Agency
.
The meeting will discuss funding and other aspects of support the teenager will require after she ages out of the childcare system. She is currently receiving medical care.
The court heard the teenager has already been diagnosed as having 'complex post-traumatic stress disorder' and may have an emerging personality disorder.
The lack of a plan for the girl's future needs 'is causing her distress', said solicitor David Stafford, for the children's court-appointed representative (guardian ad litem
).
'What is her future? Where is she going to live?' he asked. The child 'is going back into a deterioration phase, and we need to know where she is going to live'.
Confirmation of funding for future care, for a least a year, is required, though longer would be better, he said.
Solicitor Seona Ní Mhurchú, for the mother, who was in court and is receiving support, said her client is 'very concerned' about what was going to happen to her daughter.
The court heard the authorities found about €7,000 in cash in a safe in the house, yet the family was living in very poor conditions.
A Garda witness told Ms Ní Mhurchú and Judge Campbell that efforts to date to serve a protection order on the husband regarding his wife and children have not been successful.
The witness said the man, who came to Ireland some years ago and may have applied for asylum, is now a naturalised citizen. He does not seem to have any known associates or hobbies, and is no longer drawing social welfare.
'He appears to have vanished,' the judge said. 'He appears to be in the country, but can't be found.'
Border alert orders have been issued and there is no indication he has tried to leave the jurisdiction.
Mary Phelan, barrister for Tusla, said the agency will meet with the HSE and inform the court next week of the decisions made on the care of the girl due to reach 18 years. 'We all know the clock is ticking,' she said.
The judge described as 'extraordinary' the fact that the girl's younger brother had somehow at the age of 14 opened a Bank of Ireland account into which a substantial sum, in the low tens of thousands of euro, was deposited, apparently by his father.
'All we hear about money laundering and [money] mules and this [teenager] can have [tens of thousands of euro]' in a bank account and the bank 'seems not at all concerned', the judge said.
The teenager, who is also in care, had recently begun to withdraw the money and was 'going through it like a dose of salts', the judge said. The current balance in the account is less than €1,000.
Several Garda inquiries into the man are ongoing, including into his finances and possible domestic abuse and coercion. The Garda witness agreed to make inquiries of her colleagues regarding matters that would be relevant to the care of the man's children.