One of 20 children at risk over care deficiencies

TRACEY FAY, who died following a litany of failures by the state and its agencies, was one of around 20 children at risk at the time because of a lack of secure care.

The 18-year-old died from a overdose of heroin and ecstasy in January 2002. The HSE case review, published by Fine Gael, highlights the missed opportunities after the girl came to the notice of the child protection services when she was just eight months old.

Tracey’s mother put her into the voluntary care of the Eastern Health Board just two weeks short of her 15th birthday. In the first six months of being in care her accommodation arrangements were changed nine times and the report notes that during that period she became “seriously encultured in the out of home scene”. It describes the girl becoming highly sexualised, getting involved in prostitution, being pimped, using heavy drugs, drinking, fighting with residents, assaulting and being verbally abusive to staff.