CUH refuses to reveal new protocols introduced after 2018 sex attack on teen

A 17-year-old girl was attacked in 2018 by Andrew O’Donovan, a 62-year-old patient in the bed beside her who had a long history of mental illness

Cork University Hospital.

People should seek access to Cork University Hospital's admissions policy because of management's refusal to outline changes to protocols following a sex attack on a ward in 2018, a leading campaigner has said. 

Mary Crilly, chief executive of the Sexual Violence Centre Cork, was responding to CUH’s continued refusal to make any detailed statement about the changes to protocols in the wake of the sexual assault of a girl in an all-male room.

The 17-year-old was attacked in 2018 by Andrew O’Donovan, a 62-year-old patient in the bed beside her who had a long history of mental illness.

After the schizophrenic patient from Butlersgift, Drimoleague, Co Cork, was found guilty in February of sexually assaulting her, CUH announced it had reviewed admission protocols.

However, it has refused to publish review findings or explain what changes it has brought in since the attack.

It has also refused two Freedom of Information requests by the Irish Examiner.

The grounds for the latest refusal is that CUH does not believe it is in the public interest to release any details about the review.

The Irish Examiner was told: “Preserving the privacy of third parties involved outweighs the public interest that would be served were the records to be released.”

Ms Crilly said: “People who have family going into the hospital need to check what room they are going to be in and who they are going to be there with.

It is itself a story when an institution like this refuses to be transparent about some very simple questions.

“As a result, we do not know what changes they have implemented, and we do not know if the hospital is any safer now than it was in 2018."

Asked in February if children under 18 are placed on adult wards, CUH said: “The sharing of wards between male and female patients is not common practice.

“However, this can arise in terms of intensive care units and observation units for clinical reasons.

“Patients under the age of 16 years are always accommodated in pediatric wards.”

The lack of supervision in the case of the CUH assault was a feature in the case.

It prompted the judge in the case to ask questions about CUH management.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin, who sentenced O’Donovan, questioned how it was that a vulnerable and incapacitated young girl was placed in a ward with O’Donovan.

A spokesperson for CUH yesterday said: "Cork University Hospital follows HSE National Guidance in respect of 16-18-year-olds.

"Additionally CUH has updated policy procedure and guidelines in respect of the admission of young people to CUH and has undertaken a full systems analysis in respect of this incident.

"The hospital is also working to increase bed capacity and the availability of single rooms to meet demand through a number of capital developments.” The hospital, however, declined to provide a copy of the latest admissions protocols, to specify what the recommendations from the review were and what specific recommendations have since been implemented.