Trust apologises over handling of abusers
A HEALTH trust has apologised over their "lack of communication" with families of patients on the same hospital ward as two paedophiles.
Brothers James and Owen-Roe McDermott abused children in Donagh in Fermanagh for 30 years but were declared unfit for trial.
They are now being treated on a psychiatric ward alongside young vulnerable adults at Lakeview Hospital in Londonderry.
At a meeting yesterday, senior managers of the Western Trust met with families of patients and political representatives. During the meeting, the families reiterated their call to have the brothers removed from the ward.
Afterwards, a statement from the trust said: “At the outset, the Western Trust chief executive Elaine Way recognised the strength of feeling and concern and apologised for not communicating better with families last week when the McDermott brothers were first admitted.”
The trust also said a number of options to resolve the situation were being considered, and another meeting is due to take place next week, adding that robust measures have been put in place to protect patients on the ward.
SDLP Foyle MP, Mark Durkan, said it was “a difficult meeting at times but it was a necessary meeting”.
He added: “The families made it very clear to the trust that they couldn’t accept the situation continuing – even though the trust was able to say they have extra supervision day and night, to prevent any risk.”
The two brothers were allowed to return home to the village of Donagh in June after they were declared mentally unfit to stand trial.
They admitted themselves to Lakeview after village residents protested at their return to the area where they had committed the abuse.
Between them, four McDermott brothers, from Moorlough Road in Donagh, faced 60 charges of abuse spanning five decades.
John McDermott was jailed for nine years in June for the abuse. Peter Paul McDermott took his own life during his trial.
James and Owen-Roe McDermott were given lifetime orders banning them from being with children, and a two-year treatment and supervision order placing them in the care of social services.
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Tuesday 14 February 2012
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