Parents of 17 year old who died by suicide launch High Court action against HSE
The High Court in Dublin. In the proceedings, it is claimed there was there was an alleged failure to provide any, or adequate, medical care, treatment, or advice to the girl from the time of presentation at University Hospital Kerry, or at Camhs South Kerry. File picture
The parents of a 17-year-old girl who took her own life while under the care of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) in Kerry have launched a High Court action.
The couple, who cannot be named by order of the court, are suing for nervous shock over the death of their daughter four years ago.
Their lawyer, Patrick Treacy, told the court how in July 2021 the girl’s mother and father found their daughter in an upstairs bedroom of their home, where she had died by suicide.
The father said they “were left in a state of utter devastation” and their shock and trauma was not possible to describe.
The "essential tragedy here”, Mr Treacy said, is that the teenager’s parents never got a diagnosis from Camhs of their daughter having a psychiatric condition.
The girl had attended some appointments with Camhs but after she missed a speech and language appointment in May 2021, there was no contact about the non-attendance.
The girl’s mother made repeated contact with Camhs expressing increasing concerns about her daughter’s deteriorating mental health and requesting an appointment.
The 17-year-old girl had also called into Camhs looking for an appointment.
In the proceedings, it is claimed there was there was an alleged failure to provide any, or adequate, medical care, treatment, or advice to the girl from the time of presentation at University Hospital Kerry, or at Camhs South Kerry.
The mother and father are suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a prolonged grief reaction, the court heard.
The HSE side contends the couple are not suffering from psychiatric illness, but grief.
Ms Justice Denise Brett was told that a breach of duty is admitted by the HSE in the case but causation remains an issue.
The legal team for the parents said the teenager had at the end of October 2020 been referred by her GP to University Hospital Kerry complaining of deteriorating mental health, with low mood, and suicidal thoughts.
She was immediately referred to Camhs Kerry and attended a first appointment there with her mother a month later.
No risk assessment or management plan was recorded in the girl’s file, Mr Treacy said.
In March 2020, the girl attended at Camhs for her first medical appointment but no care plan was recorded and while the psychiatrist verbally offered a follow-up appointment, no further arrangements were made, the court was told.
It is claimed there was a failure to have any regard for the girls symptoms, including those of moderate-to-severe mental illness, suicidal ideations, and possible psychosis.
There was a failure to carry out any adequate assessments of the young woman and an inappropriate focus on speech and language assessment, it is alleged.
It is further claimed there was a failure to have any adequate systems, processes, structures or procedures to adequately care for patients presenting with mental illness.
The case is expected to last six days.
