Ease lockdown for those with special needs, says father of former Muckamore Abbey patient

Aaron Brown, a 23-year-old with high level autism and profound learning difficulties, was allegedly abused by Muckamore staff in 2017. He has been living in sheltered accommodation, with support from Praxis Care, for several months now following a resettlement scheme for Muckamore patients.

The resettlement scheme had been announced in December 2018 after allegations of abuse began to surface the previous year.

A major criminal investigation into the abuse of patients by staff remains ongoing, and families have been demanding a full public inquiry through the campaign group Action For Muckamore for some time.

But in the meantime, Aaron Brown has not seen his family since the beginning of the coronavirus lockdown.

His father, Glynn Brown, believes special measures to ease restrictions should be introduced for both his own family and others in similar circumstances.

Mr Brown told the News Letter: “We haven’t seen Aaron for eight weeks. It’s been difficult. It’s been very tough.

“People with special needs have exactly that — special needs — so a special case should be made for them.”

Despite the difficulty of the lockdown, Mr Brown has been pleased with the way his son has been cared for by Praxis.

“He moved out to his wee place and the people looking after him are brilliant. We were very worried about how he was going to cope without seeing us because he’s always been very focussed on his visits. His treatment is fantastic.

“They have been really on the ball with infection control — hand sanitisers, the PPE (personal protective equipment), everything. We thought, my goodness, Aaron isn’t going to like this. But they seem to be doing so well with him.”

He added: “But, it’s getting to the stage now where he’s going to start to say ‘hold on, where’s my family’.

“That’s why we’re hoping that in the near future there’s going to be a relaxation. We can’t see him at all right now. We hate it.”

While Mr Brown has been happy with the progress his son has made since the move into the community, he said several families have had the “rug pulled from under them” by the pandemic. The resettlement of patients from Muckamore Abbey Hospital was suspended back in April due to the coronavirus. The Belfast Trust confirmed that a “small number” of the 48 patients living at the facility had been due to move until the resettlement scheme was suspended.

And it has since been revealed that at least 27 staff members at Muckamore Abbey Hospital have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Glynn Brown added: “I know how lucky we are that Aaron got out when he did.”

CAMPAIGN FOR PUBLIC INQUIRY CONTINUES

Glynn Brown spearheads the Action For Muckamore campaign group.

He met with the Northern Ireland Health Minister Robin Swann earlier this year, before the lockdown restrictions came into effect, to press the need for a full public inquiry into the handling of the allegations by health authorities.

Following the meeting, the minister said he was “committed to bringing everyone who has failed the patients and their families to account.”

And since that time, a major, ongoing PSNI investigation into the abuse allegations has explored thousands of hours of CCTV footage from inside the home.

Last month, a file was delivered to prosecutors that was said by Mr Brown to be “too big” to be delivered electronically and was delivered instead by van.

Mr Brown told the News Letter the pandemic should not stand in the way of an inquiry into failings at the facility.

“Our solicitor has already written to the Minister, and that was more than a month ago. He has now written back, because of the coronavirus, requesting more time before he gives an answer.

“We will still be pressing for that inquiry to take place. The parties, when Stormont was still collapsed, had all said they would support a public inquiry.”

He added: “We will still be pushing for Robin Swann to order the inquiry he called for when he was the UUP leader.”

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