Judge Calls for Urgent Action as Girl Faces 30 Men in Dublin Care Case

A Dublin District Childcare Court judge declared that the State must urgently address child sexual exploitation after hearing that a 17-year-old girl was taken to hotels to have sex with up to 30 adult men in exchange for alcohol and drugs. Judge Conor Fottrell described the case as exploitation on a scale he had not previously seen in his court.

The court was told that prepaid taxis regularly arrived at the teenager's care placement to transport her to residences and hotels. She had been in the care of Tusla, the state agency, since early 2026. An older woman introduced the girl to drugs and the men, benefiting financially or otherwise from the teenager's sexual activity.

Sarah O'Reilly, the court-appointed advocate for the girl, stated that the adolescent had recently been assaulted by a man she refused to have sex with. O'Reilly noted that the girl was candid about engaging in unprotected and group sex, which resulted in multiple sexually transmitted diseases. Despite the girl's belief that she controlled the situation, O'Reilly argued that this was not the case.

A toxicology report from October found morphine, methadone, cocaine, cannabis, barbiturates, amphetamine, and antidepressants in the teenager's system. The court heard that the girl's absconding from her placement increased in frequency after September. A social work report stated that her current placement lacked the capacity to provide the necessary safety and containment.

Judge Fottrell criticized the Tusla special care committee for refusing to seek a High Court order for special care on October 13. Special care is the most secure form of care available. The judge called the refusal difficult to believe and stated that the girl required a high level of therapeutic input that could only be provided in a safe environment. He identified special care as the obvious placement for her.

The judge described the case as horrendous and noted the girl's history of trauma, adversity, and hospital admissions for mental health concerns. He emphasized that the girl was at serious and very high risk every day she remained in her current placement. He stated that the immediate issue was getting the girl safe.

Counsel for Tusla indicated that the application for special care would be reconsidered next week. A probable High Court application for a special care order is expected in mid-November. The judge listed the matter to return to his court after the Tusla committee's reconsideration. He also requested a Garda report on investigations into the alleged sexual exploitation of the girl.

Fottrell said the issue of exploitation of children in care is a real and serious matter that requires a multi-agency approach. He stated that vulnerable children, predominantly girls, are being exploited at a horrific level and that this is coming before the courts on a regular basis. The judge concluded that the agencies of the State need to tackle the issue as a matter of urgency.