CUH reviewed admission protocols after man, 62, sexually assaulted teen in hospital bed

The assault of a 17-year-old girl on a ward by a 62-year-old man in 2018 has led Cork University Hospital to review its admission protocols.

But it has refused to say when it conducted the review, who carried it out and what action it has taken since the review.

In addition, its PR firm declined to say whether the age for admission to adult wards has since been raised to 18.

Andrew O’Donovan, from Butlersgift, Drimoleague, County Cork, was given an 18-month suspended jail term on Tuesday for sexually assaulting the girl.

He has a diagnosed schizophrenic condition and had been attending mental health services since the 1980s for anxiety, agitation, euphoria and insomnia.

Yet he was placed beside the young girl, who was recovering from serious injuries when he started sexually assaulting her.

Her injuries were so bad she was due to stay in hospital for six weeks, but instead and because of the sexual assault, left after just 11 days.

Because of her physical injuries at the time she could not reach the call-button over her head.

Staff were only alerted to what was going on when the man’s heart monitor set off an alarm that his heart rate was rising and they thought he was having a heart attack.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin questioned how it was that the girl was placed in a ward with a man with a diagnosed schizophrenic condition.

"You have to question in circumstances like this what management was doing,” said the judge in his summing up.

“This is a very acute problem in the hospital. You have to question the management of the ward system.

There appears to be no system of management or supervision.

"The only thing that brought it to hospital notice was his heart rate rising and they thought he was having a heart attack.

"This was minutes after the incident happened. You have to question the placing of these patients in this ward together.”

Despite a number of questions to its PR firm, the hospital issued only a brief statement.

It read: “Management at Cork University Hospital has noted the comments of Mr Justice Seán Ó Donnabháin and wish to advise that following this incident a review of protocols for the admission of patients to hospital wards was undertaken.

Factors such as accommodation, staffing, and patient safety were examined as part of this review process.

The victim, who cannot be named, said: “I thought I would be safe in the hospital and never imagined I would be in danger.

When the defendant began to sexually assault me I was petrified and helpless as the call button was above me.

"I couldn’t reach it due to my injuries. From this horrible situation I really hope paediatrics are raised to 18 years of age instead of 16 years."