Disturbed girl returns to mental hospital

An extremely disturbed girl, who was sexually abused as a child, has returned to the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, Co Dublin, after escaping two days ago.

While she wants to be in a secure environment, she does not want to be at the CMH, the High Court heard.

In the absence of anywhere else for her to go, the East Coast Area Health Board asked the court to direct that the girl remain at the hospital until January 12th.

The girl, who will be 18 in January, was placed in the hospital last March. She has absconded several times.

Ms Grainne Mullan, for the girl, told Mr Justice Kelly yesterday her client's instructions were that she did not want to be in the hospital.

The girl is not psychiatrically ill but is traumatised following neglect by her family and sexual abuse. She has been in care since she was 13.

Last March she was detained in a ward of an adult psychiatric hospital and from there was moved to Dundrum.

The case came before Mr Justice Kelly yesterday via an application by the health board for her to remain at the hospital until January 12th.

Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, for the board, said it was proposing "another half-chance" for the girl because of the strain of Christmas and the New Year.

Dr Charles Smith, of the Central Mental Hospital, said the girl had "not really kept her side of the bargain" in relation to programmes put in place for her. It was highly likely she would abscond again and come back. Keeping the hospital available to her could see her through a difficult period.

Mr Justice Kelly said the girl had previously assured the court she would co-operate with programmes for her transition to adult life but had not done so. This was perhaps understandable given her tragic background.

He would make the order sought, which was "a last and forlorn hope" that something could be done to help prepare her for adult life.