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After Louise Rafter was abused in a foster home at the age of nine, her life became a blur of care placements, drug-taking, self-harm and ‘going crazy’. Now 21, she considers herself lucky to have survived Ireland’s under-resourced care system

LOUISE RAFTER’S PHONE beeped with a text message. “Turn on the news,” her friend said. The main item on the six o’clock news that day a few weeks ago was the story of Tracey Fay, an 18-year-old who had died in 2002 while in the care of health authorities. It mentioned an independent report that was highly critical of health authorities for their “chaotic” provision of care. It listed the many “missed opportunities” where the State should have intervened earlier. A Government minister said there had been big improvements in care; her story was the exception, rather than the rule.