A DONEGAL woman has been charged with three counts of cruelty to children.
In order to protect the identity of the children, the woman cannot be named.
The accused, who is in her 30s and with an address in Donegal, has been charged with offences contrary to section 246 of the Children’s Act 2001.
In respect of three separate named children, the woman is charged with: “Being a person having custody of a child, did wilfully: assault, ill treat, neglect, abandon the said child or cause, procure or allow the said child to be assaulted, ill-treated, abandoned in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering to the child’s health or seriously to affect their wellbeing.”
The alleged offences took place at addresses and locations in Donegal on dates unknown between January 1 2016 and February 17 2018.
When the case was mentioned at Letterkenny District Court today, the woman was not present. She was represented by solicitor Mr Frank Dorrian.
Judge Alan Mitchell said the alleged offences were ‘very broad’.
“There are different dates, so it has been done in a way where the one charge encapsulates everything,” Sergeant Jim Collins told the Court.
Judge Mitchell asked if were a case that the woman had ‘left the children and went off’. Sgt Collins said: “There were incidents of assault while they were there and she was out.”
The case was adjourned to September 2021.