A MEMBER of the clergy reported that he had repeatedly
indecently assaulted a resident of St Joseph’s intellectual disability
services in Dublin, according to a report published Thursday.
Carried out by the European Committee for the
Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,
the report says a manager at the facility — which operates two centres
where 160 people live — informed the delegation when it visited the
services last year.
The matter has been investigated by gardaí and a file has been sent to the DPP.
The committee, which investigates facilities where people are detained
involuntarily, also found that people with no certified psychiatric
disorders, and people with intellectual disabilities, are being
inappropriately placed in the Central Mental Hospital (CMH).
Concern was expressed over the "tendency" to send people with
challenging behaviour who could be better placed in a regular, secure
psychiatric setting, to the CMH.
Also noted is the "considerable waiting list" for admission to the CMH which is "unlikely" to be resolved in the near future.
"On the contrary, it will be further accentuated if the CMH continues
to accommodate a growing number of persons with learning disability as
their sole diagnosis," the delegation wrote.
In response, the
Government said a site for the new CMH had now been identified and
preliminary discussions have taken place with the planning authority. It
proposed to provide a 10-bed forensic mental health unit for people
with intellectual disabilities which will be co-located with the new
CMH. Two specialist nurses have been appointed for people detained in
the CMH with intellectual disability as their primary diagnosis.
Another issue raised in the report is that "so-called voluntary"
patients are in reality being deprived of their liberty and if staff
considered it necessary these patients could also be subjected to
seclusion and could be administered medication for prolonged periods
against their wish.
The report observes that at present Irish
legislation does not offer safeguards to patients voluntarily remaining
in a psychiatric hospital.
Violence in psychiatric units was
also highlighted, especially in St Brendan’s and St Ita’s, two hospitals
which are set for closure in the next two years. At times, violence was
particularly severe — one staff member at St Brendan’s narrowly avoided
being strangled with a billiard cue.
The delegation said
security issues were occurring because of the staff-patient ratio, the
lack of activities available and the mix of patients on a particular
unit.