Homeless children had to sleep on bloody mattresses

Children forced from their home by domestic violence were homeless for two years, during which they slept on blood-stained mattresses and found themselves in accommodation where they were exposed to their mother’s ex-partner or his friends, an investigation by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office has found.

OCO’s report on the investigation, to be published today, says “decisions made based on incorrect information and the delay in developing national quality standards negatively impacted on the children”.

Director of investigations Nuala Ward said the family had become homeless after they took the “brave step” of leaving a situation of domestic violence.