Shocking treatment of boy with Down Syndrome has come to Gardaí attention

Footage which shows a child with Down Syndrome being forced to expose himself to a group of teens has come to Gardaí attention in Co. Cork.

The video, which showed a vulnerable boy subjected to a cruel attack was uploaded by one of the teen perpetrators before being shared on Facebook.

The incident in which the vulnerable child was forced to shove twigs down his throat and undo his trousers for the entertainment of the teen group was brought to the attention of a Co. Cork radio station when a concerned mother stumbled across the distressing footage.

Commenting on the horrifying event, Karen O' Mahony, from Autism parent’s group The Masquerade Ball, told radio hosts: "I received a message from a very disturbed mother after she came across the post on Facebook in some teenage group."

Concerned about children with special needs finding themselves in vulnerable positions, Karen said: "Since then we’ve been flooded by concerned parents asking ‘Why are we fighting for inclusion if these are the positions [vulnerable children with special needs] could be put in?"

Understandably outraged by the violation experienced by the young boy, Karen said: "It’s disgusting. It should not be something that is happening in society today. This poor lad is just trying to do his best to be part of society and this could have a huge impact on setting him back."

A spokesperson for the Gardaí have acknowledged that they are aware of the incident but have asserted that they have yet to receive an official complaint regarding the event.