Disturbed girl freed from mental hospital

An extremely disturbed girl, who is not mentally ill, has been freed from the Central Mental Hospital after almost a year's detention because of the absence of any therapeutic facility for troubled adolescents.

The girl, who will be 18 within days and therefore not legally a minor and not amenable to the jurisdiction of the High Court, was yesterday moved to a "step-down" facility which will be provided by the East Coast Area Health Board for an unspecified period.

The girl is not psychiatrically ill but is greatly traumatised following neglect by her family and sexual abuse by her brother and others, as a child. She suffers from behavioural and personality disorders.

She has been in care since she was 13 and has had some 34 placements, all of which broke down for a variety of reasons.

Her last placement while still legally a child was in the Central Mental Hospital where she was sent by order of Mr Justice Kelly last March.

Immediately before that she had been detained in the acute psychiatric wing of a general hospital, which placement, a consultant psychiatrist said, was inappropriate and possibly illegal.

At the time of directing the girl's move to the Central Mental Hospital, the judge said he was making the unprecedented order "with reluctance and a heavy heart" but had no other option in the absence of any suitable alternative.

Later in March the girl wrote to the judge saying she was not mad and just wanted someone to care for her.

The girl absconded on a number of occasions from the hospital but usually returned voluntarily. In court yesterday the judge heard the girl had remained at the hospital throughout Christmas and was not allowed out until last Friday, when she was collected and taken to her mother's home, where it was intended that she remain a few days.

The judge also heard yesterday that reports relating to allegations the girl made relating to her treatment at a health board residential facility were still being prepared.

Mr Justice Kelly adjourned the matter of those reports for two weeks. He said a regime had been put in place to help the girl meet her needs as an adult, but it was dependent on her co-operation.