Updated: 7.22pm

A 13-YEAR-OLD boy has been remanded in custody after appearing in court charged with the murder of schoolgirl Anastasia Kriegel, who was found dead last week in a derelict house in Dublin.

The boy, who cannot be named because he is a juvenile, was remanded in custody for one week after he appeared before Judge John O’Connor at a special late sitting of the Dublin Children’s Court this evening.

The judge warned that any attempt to identify the boy on social media will result in prosecution. There was no indication of how he will plead.

The teen was charged with the murder of 14-year-old Anastasia Kriegel at Glenwood House, Laraghcon, Clonee Road, Lucan on 14 May, contrary to common law.

The body of Anastasia, known as Ana, was found in a disused farmhouse on 17 May, three days after she was reported missing.

Anastasia, a first year pupil at Confey Community School in Leixlip, Co Dublin, was described as 5’8″, black shoulder length hair, sallow skin and slim build.

She was wearing a black hoodie with white writing, black bottoms and black runners when she left her home at Newtown Park, Leixlip, at about 5pm to go to the nearby 200-acre St Catherine’s Park.

However, she did not return home and in the following hours when her parents were unable to contact her phone they alerted gardai.

After the discovery on 17 May, the scene was preserved for a full Garda technical examination and a post-mortem was carried out by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy.

Gardai also appealed to the public for information.

Special sitting

Two boys were arrested yesterday and held under Section Four of the Criminal Justice Act at separate Garda stations in Dublin.

At just before 6.30pm this evening one of them appeared before Judge John O’Connor at a special late sitting of the Dublin Children’s Court.

Neatly dressed in blue jeans, and a black and white hoodie, and runners, the teen’s mother sat beside him during the brief hearing. His father sat to his right on the lawyers’ desk, beside defence solicitor Donough Molloy.

The teen’s grandfather was also allowed attend the in camera hearing and sat at the back of the courtroom. They remained silent throughout the proceedings.

Evidence of arrest, charge and caution was given by Garda Inspector Mark O’Neill.

The teen quietly greeted Judge O’Connor at the start of the hearing.

Garda Inspector O’Neill told the court the boy was arrested at 4.01pm today at Clondalkin Garda station and he was charged at 4.39pm.

The boy’s father was present at the station, the court heard.

“In reply to that charge after caution, he had nothing to say,” Inspector O’Neill said.

Reporting restrictions

Judge O’Connor said he did not have jurisdiction to grant bail due to the nature of the charge. After it was confirmed there was a place available at the Oberstown Detention Centre he remanded the boy in custody to appear again on 1 June 2018.

He cited the reporting restrictions in juvenile cases and said: “No report shall be published or included in a broadcast which reveals the name, address or school of any child concerned in the proceedings or includes any particulars likely to lead to the identification of any child concerned in the proceedings, and no picture shall be published or included in a broadcast as being or including a picture of any child concerned in the proceedings or which is likely to lead to his or her identification.”

Three reporters were present in the tiny courtroom for the hearing while other journalists had to wait outside.

The judge stressed that reporting restrictions were essential for a fair trial. He warned that he wanted to make it clear that if the boy’s name, school or address or a picture of him was reproduced it would result in a prosecution.

He said he was aware the journalists present understood and added: “I am doing this from the point of view of general social media.”

Legal aid was granted after the judge noted from Molloy that the boy was “a schoolchild, 13-years of age”.

Because it was the boy’s first court appearance he could not be remanded in custody for longer than a week.

The teen spoke again briefly at the end of the hearing when the judge asked him, “Is it your first time in here?”. The teen nodded and quietly said “yes”.

Judge O’Connor asked his solicitor if an order for medical attention was required. Mr Molloy said: “I will liaise with Oberstown in that regard.”

The was then remanded in custody and escorted from the courtroom. The judge allowed his solicitor to speak with his client and his parents before the boy was transferred to the detention centre.

There was no indication as to how he will plead.

Bail can only be granted in the High Court in murder cases.

The second juvenile male arrested during the investigation has been released without charge and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.