10 yr old Son accused of an sexual assult

[bogartsqueen]

I am really hoping someone can advise me here as I am at my witts end.

On friday last my 10 year old came home from school and told me that his best friend had told him that all our neighbours were running around warning each other to keep their kids away from my son as he is suppossed to have committed a sexual act on another boy from our estate. He was also told that the gardai had been called and would be questioning him and he would probably have to go to a therapist.
at first I thought this as some kind of sick joke by his friend but after questioning his mother it turns out that yes a complaint had been made against my son. I went to the garda station who were not one bit helpful, the officer in charge of the case only confirmed that a complaint had been made on the wednesday and I should expect a call from the specialist unit sunday or monday.
it is now Tuesday and I haven't heard anything. I have seen the specialist people attened the complainints house on Sunday.

So my question is, does anyone know what rights my child has?
The whole estate seems to know what he has been accussed of except us. The children in the estate also know and they age from 4-13, they are commenting to him about it and its starting to spread around his school. The guards still wont tell me anything.
My child's name has been tarnished and this all could be a simple misunderstanding

have we any rights? Should we have been at least informed by now what the complaint was?

 

[mercman]

In the first instance have you tried talking to your son about the matter ??

You might then need to bring him to the family doctor. The child may be starting to come out of puberty. Depending on the allegations he might be messing with his sexuality and trying to discover himself.

Perhaps when you learn of the details, you might require to talk with your solicitor.

 

[bogartsqueen]

Of course I have questioned my son, and from what he is saying this seems to be a massive mis-understanding. I have contacted my family doctor and he is been referred not because he has done anything but because of what so called adults are now putting him through. I am waiting to see a solictor I was just hoping somebody could advise me on my childs rights in the meantime. Surely you can't go around blaming and naming a child of doing such a thing not even knowing its true.

 

[Emiso]

The child protection social work team will be dealing with this.
Ring the duty social work number of your local HSE area and they will be able to assist you. You will get the number on the website.

 

[SPUDZ]

No advice for you Bogartsqueen....just a little bit of support and empathy for what must be a truely aweful situation for you and your son to be faced with. One step at a time...gather the facts...try to make calm informed decisions...I wish you the best of luck with what is going to be a traumatic few days/weeks.

 

[truthseeker]

Of course I have questioned my son, and from what he is saying this seems to be a massive mis-understanding. I have contacted my family doctor and he is been referred not because he has done anything but because of what so called adults are now putting him through. I am waiting to see a solictor I was just hoping somebody could advise me on my childs rights in the meantime. Surely you can't go around blaming and naming a child of doing such a thing not even knowing its true.

If you have not had a visit from the Guards or any official notification of anything and all you are going on is neighbourhood gossip then maybe this is all a storm in a teacup?

 

[burmo]

Can you go to court and look for an injunction against the neighbour discussing this?