Drift to the margins of society after time in care

Mary's story: In October 2000, Mary was at the centre of a major controversy over the separation of powers between the judiciary…

Mary's story: In October 2000, Mary was at the centre of a major controversy over the separation of powers between the judiciary and the State.

Her case led to Judge Peter Kelly threatening to find the ministers for Justice, Health and Education in contempt over the failure to provide secure accommodation for her.

When her case came before Judge Kelly in October 2000, she was missing, having absconded from her latest placement. At one stage during the previous 12 months, she had been held at the Central Mental Hospital.

With the death of Kim O'Donovan just over a month before, her disappearance led to a major search, and it was in this atmosphere the judge made the threat.

READ MORE

Mary, from the north-east, had been abusing drink and drugs since she was 11.

She had been rejected by her mother when she was a baby and had been reared mainly by her grandmother and foster parents. She had never received the treatment recommended for her four years previously.

She was found the following weekend and taken to Kells Garda station. By that stage a special unit had been put in place in Ardee, Co Louth. The threat of contempt was lifted.

Mary spent less than a year at the centre, according to her solicitor, Paddy Goodwin, although he was happy with the quality of care provided for her there.

"It was perfect as far as I could see. They had spent a lot of money doing it up. It was well staffed and it was state of the art."

Just before she turned 18, the High Court order was lifted and she moved to accommodation in Dundalk. She was no longer the responsibility of the North Eastern Health Board (NEHB).

"There was no effective therapeutic treatment provided for her after the court case," Mr Goodwin claims.

In the last three years she has drifted back on to the margins of society. She had a few minor scrapes with the law in Ireland, leading her to move to the north of England, where she has family.

She keeps in touch intermittently with Mr Goodwin, who now fears she may be homeless in England.

"I'm certainly very concerned for her welfare," he says.

Last Easter tragedy struck her family again when her younger brother, who had been in care in a residential children's home in Drogheda, died. He had been sniffing gas with friends.

The previous summer, Mr Goodwin had written to the NEHB on his grandmother's behalf, warning the 15-year-old was abusing solvents and seeking a major intervention.

He never received a response. Mr Goodwin had wanted to take a High Court case on behalf of the teenager but he sought a new solicitor, an unusual thing for a 15-year-old to do.

"I think he might still be alive if I had been able to take that case."