Vulnerable woman ‘repeatedly sexually assaulted’ after leaving prison

A vulnerable woman was repeatedly sexually assaulted after being released from prison 13 times, a report has found.

Appropriate arrangements were not put in place to ensure continuity of care between women's prison Ash House in Belfast and the community, human rights organisation the Council of Europe said .

The Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture report also highlights concerns around the treatment of a small number of women at Ash House. This includes one who did not see a psychiatrist after she was first admitted in 2014.

It said the woman’s problems were assessed by Ash House as being “behavioural”, not mental illness. As a result it was decided she did not need to be seen by a psychiatrist.

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However, psychotropic medication was prescribed for her without her consent, without her being seen by a doctor and in the absence of evidence of a statement proving the patient had the capacity to consent. The report found that this was “a serious issue”.

Under-resourced

“The documentation showed a failure to put in place appropriate continuity of care from prison to the community whenever she was released.

“Not only is prison in general a totally inappropriate environment for such a vulnerable woman, but Ash House is notably under-resourced to provide the care that this woman requires.”

The authors of the report said this case "raises issues of great concern around the quality of care and support for vulnerable persons in Northern Ireland, including as regards the role of criminal courts".

Ash House is a dedicated women’s prison and the committee made positive findings surrounding the general actions of staff and conditions of detention.

But, the review also warned about low staff numbers at the facility “threatening safety”.

The report noted the case of another woman with a history of self-harm, drug misuse and depression admitted to Ash House at the end of 2016.

“It was noted that her behaviour was bizarre and that she was disorientated and later she was found to be hysterical, shouting in her cell and seeing spiders,” stated the report.

It took four weeks for her to see a doctor and she was not seen by a psychiatrist before her release early last year. She was readmitted to prison twice.

“However she was repeatedly displaying challenging behaviour which had resulted in several instances of control and restraint by staff ... Again, no plans were in place at the time for her transfer to a more appropriate care environment and the CPT(committee for the prevention of torture) particularly laments the lack of psychiatric input into the care of this woman.”

Extensive reform

It recognised extensive reform in the prison service more generally and said alleged physical ill-treatment levels at the high-security Maghaberry Prison in Co Antrim were "greatly diminished" and most inmates felt safe.

The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust administers treatment in prison through its GP and community services, with the prison healthcare team sharing relevant information.

A protocol has been agreed for those requiring transfer to mental health services involving close liaison with the health trust. The GP is the gateway to access mental health services, including non-specialist ones.

The trust said many prisoners were affected by domestic abuse, homelessness and poverty and may therefore require support from a range of organisations.

“These social factors can impact on emotional wellbeing and resilience and cannot be addressed by health in isolation,” it said. “Many people in prison struggle to engage with services offered in the community. The public health agenda seeks to address this and reduce health inequalities that exist in Northern Ireland.”

The Northern Ireland Prison Service said the report recognised extensive reform and transformational change.

“The NI Prison Service is committed to striving for continuous improvement and is determined to build on the progress made to date.” – PA