The "disgraceful" failure of the State to provide proper care and accommodation for its disturbed children has achieved "international notoriety", a High Court judge stated yesterday.
While dealing with the plight of a very troubled teenage girl, who was sexually abused by her father and remains in an adult psychiatric unit because there is no appropriate place for her here, Mr Justice Kelly said he had been contacted by an adolescent psychiatric facility in Oklahoma in the US which had informed him it was about to open such a facility in England.
The judge said he would give the documentation to the State and to the health board dealing with the girl. He warned that if this State would not provide appropriate accommodation for such troubled children, he would consider making orders requiring it to fund the maintenance of these children in facilities outside the State.
The judge was dealing with the situation of a 15-year-old girl who was first sent to the adult psychiatric unit after she almost died following an overdose of alcohol and ecstasy tablets. The child took the overdose after absconding from a health board facility which was not secure.
Last month, the child was moved to a State remand centre for the purposes of carrying out an overall assessment of her needs. However, she became very upset while there, apparently because a staff member reminded her of her father in his physical appearance and speech, and tried to damage herself.
The girl was then returned to the adult psychiatric facility where her behaviour is said to have settled.