Grainne Gault: Elisha is 'missed, terribly missed'..and would want us to help others

The mother of a 14-year-old Tipperary girl whose body was found in a river days after she went missing has criticised adolescent mental health services.

Grainne Gault has given her first TV interview since the death of her daughter Elisha last month and has called for a nationwide suicide first aid programme.

Speaking on TV3's Pat Kenny Show, Grainne says she wants to help others in the same situation.

"She's missed, terribly missed...but Elisha would have wanted us to reach out and try and help others," said Grainne.

The heartbroken mother revealed that Elisha was hospitalised after she tried to end her own life, for the first time in May of last year.

The following day, the teen was assessed by a mental health professional, who was part of the local Child and Adolescence Mental Health Service (CAMHS).

At a follow-up appointment two weeks later, the CAMHS team told Elisha that she was not suitable for their services.

Grainne Gault, the mother of Elisha Gault, speaks to Pat Kenny about her daughters life and tragic death and what she wants Elisha's legacy to be. #PKShow pic.twitter.com/hpIoIhx7y0

— Virgin Media Television (@VirginMedia_TV) April 18, 2018

"All we were given was a print-out of other services we could try," Grainne said.

She also revealed that at the beginning of last year, Elisha had disclosed that she had suffered sexual abuse.

"We went through the process, alerted the Gardaí and went down to a special child unit in Waterford and the case was forwarded to the DPP for review."

In January of this year, Elisha and her parents were told that the DPP would not be taking a prosecution on the back of Elisha's complaint.

Paying tribute to her daughter, Grainne described Elisha as "full of fun, friendly and outgoing".

Digital Desk