Waterford woman charged with murder of her six-year-old son

Gardaí announced on Tuesday, February 13 that they have charged the woman who was arrested as part of the investigation into the death of a six-year-old boy whose body was found in a car at Dunmore East, Co Waterford on Friday, February 9.

The woman appeared before a special sitting of the Waterford District Court on Tuesday evening.

Ruth Purcell Healy, 37, of Bishop's Field, Williamstown Road, Waterford, was charged with the murder of her son Matthew Healy on February 8 or 9 at Rathmoylan in Co Waterford, RTÉ News reports.

Judge Kevin Staunton remanded Healy into custody until next Tuesday and ordered that she be psychiatrically evaluated.

Gardaí in Waterford said on Friday that they were investigating all of the circumstances surrounding the death of the six-year-old boy whose body was found in a car at Dunmore East, Co Waterford shortly after midnight on Friday.

A woman in her late 30s was arrested at the scene and was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda Station in Co Waterford.

The body of the deceased was removed to Waterford University Hospital for a post-mortem examination on Friday.

Two vigils have been held in Co Waterford for six-year-old Matthew Healy in recent days, both attended by hundreds of people.

A notice on RIP.ie says that Matthew is “Sadly missed by his heartbroken Dad James, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family, neighbours and friends.

“Fly with the angels.”

The notice said a requiem Mass will be held in the Church of the Immaculate Conception, in Watergrasshill, Co Cork on Wednesday at noon, followed by a private service in The Island Crematorium Ringaskiddy, Co Cork.

The notice added that donations, if desired, can be made to the Make a Wish Foundation.

Earlier on Tuesday, An Garda Síochána were forced to issue a warning about posts circulating on social media "which advertise the live streaming of the funeral mass of a recently deceased boy due to take place in the parish of Watergrasshill and Glenville Co. Cork."

The posts, An Garda Síochána said, "include a link which users are prompted to click on in order to watch the mass, and are then redirected to a webpage that captures their personal information.

"Please do not to engage with these posts.

"Anyone who wishes to watch a funeral mass via live stream are asked to please revert to the Parish or Diocese directly."