Youth in 'mortal danger', court hears

A youth with a history of heroin addiction and no family supports was "in mortal danger" but the South Western Area Health Board was limited in its capacity to help him, counsel for the board told the High Court yesterday.

There is also a doubt whether an open residential facility, which the board had hoped the teeanger would regard as somewhere he could resort to, will remain open after the end of January, the court heard.

Mr Justice Murphy was told the 17-year-old youth , who has been in the care of the board for some years, had lost a brother and sister to heroin overdoses and has himself a history of drug abuse.

A previous court hearing was told the youth's parents, as a result of significant alcohol addiction and other problems, are unable to function as parents.

Counsel for the youth said yesterday his court-appointed guardian was concerned about him and wished to meet the psychiatrist dealing with him for the purpose of risk assessment.

The teenager's present placement had been in effect since July. The guardian was concerned his lifestyle was now more chaotic, that he goes missing at night, that his drug use had escalated and that he had expressed suicidal intent. The guardian was also concerned there was a doubt whether his current placement would be available after January.

It was important to revisit the matter of whether it was acceptable for the youth to remain in an non-secure unit, counsel added. For that purpose, the guardian wished to meet the psychiatrist who was dealing with the youth. She asked that the matter be adjourned to January 20th to facilitate that and in light of a case conference to be held regarding the boy's situation.

Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, for the board, said the youth was demonstrating an escalating pattern of drug abuse. The psychiatrist who was working closely with the youth had warned of a heightened risk for him following his release from St Patrick's Institution last June for the purposes of assessment.

Having consulted with social workers and the psychiatrist, the board had looked at the reality of this case which reality was "not pleasant and not terribly hopeful". The youth had been placed in an non-secure unit in the hope he would come to regard it as a place he could resort to, and minimum demands had been placed on him. The board had also established a network of contacts for the youth, including the psychiatrist and a person with considerable experience of working with the Traveller community, of which he was a member.

Mr MacEntee added he had been unable to get instructions as to whether the insecure facility where the boy had been placed would be available after January and wanted the matter adjourned to January 20th. However, he warned, the board's attitude to the situation was unlikely to be "any rosier" then.

"We consider this boy is in mortal danger, but there is nothing further we can do," counsel added. The scheme he had outlined provided the boy with a sophisticated lifeline which recognised the reality of the situation. Mr Justice Murphy expressed the hope matters would not escalate and adjourned the case to January 20th.