Jury recommends improved supervision following death of Sinéad O’Connor’s son who committed suicide – National News

Sean McCarthaigh

An inquest jury has made a number of recommendations to improve the supervision and care of vulnerable young people following a verdict of suicide in the death of singer Sinéad O’Connor’s son.

The body of Shane O’Connor (17) was found in an isolated area at the back of a housing estate near Bray, Co Wicklow, on January 7, 2022, less than 24 hours after he was reported missing at Tallaght University Hospital. when he was supposed to be under 24-hour, individual care.

A hearing at the Dublin County Coroner’s Court heard that on December 29, 2021, the mother brought the teenager to the TUH Emergency Department following a drug overdose, which was deemed to be a suicide attempt.

The investigation found that staff were unable to provide the 24-hour supervision recommended by hospital doctors. Evidence from the time of his escape from TUH on the morning of January 6, 2022.

Tusla senior social worker Joyce Connolly told the inquest’s second day on Tuesday that Shane and his mother had a “complex and turbulent” relationship but were also very close and “dependent on each other in some way throughout their lives”. “

Ms Connolly said the singer hopes to resume full-time care for her son and discussions are ongoing as to whether this will be possible.

Mrs O’Connor, who formally identified her son’s body, died suddenly of natural causes just 18 months later in London.

The inquest heard Shane had been in Tusla care since 2015 and was raised by his half-brother Jake Reynolds – the late singer’s eldest child – and his partner Lia Petcu from July 2016 to May 2018, before he was placed in a care facility. care facilities.

When asked about the rules governing what Shane can do if he chooses not to engage in education, Mrs Connolly said there is a “delicate balance” to strike but they could stop him leaving school and doing what he wants.

Ms Connolly said a committee met on January 4, 2022 to consider making an application for a special care order for Shane – which would give Tusla the power to deprive the teenager of his liberty – but deferred a decision because it did not have the HSE Services report on child and adolescent mental health (CAMHS).

However, Ms Connolly said she believed Shane’s needs were “more of a mental nature”.

She said the teenager would have been actively encouraged to attend drug treatment, but the “unfortunate factor” was that he did not want to stop using cannabis.

Ms Connolly noted that he had made it clear that his life was better when he took the drug.

However, she said the child welfare authorities also had no power to prevent him from accessing such substances.

Asked about possible improvements that could be made, she recommended “more work on building relationships” between the various state agencies involved in the care of young people.

Aoife Scanlon, manager of the New Beginnings residential care center in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, where Shane had been living since March 2019, said he had settled well into the facility over the first year.

However, the inquest heard that from July 2021 the teenager’s condition appeared to be deteriorating, although Ms Scanlon said she could not identify any specific factor causing the condition.

New Beginnings later informed Tusla that it no longer believed it could provide safe accommodation for Shane due to his complex mental health needs.

Ms Scanlon said they continued to support him, providing staff to assist TUH and Shane’s father Donal Lunny – a leading folk musician – providing 24-hour supervision for Shane after his admission to hospital.

The inquiry heard that New Beginnings stopped assisting with such surveillance in line with Covid-19 guidance after Shane was deemed a close contact when Mr Lunny tested positive for the virus on January 4, 2022.

Ms Scanlon fought back tears as she remembered Shane as a “wonderful, lovely boy”.

She noted that approaching his 18th birthday was a “very discouraging experience” for him as he would no longer have access to specialist health and social services for young people.

“He had been struggling to stay in care for a long time, but he knew he needed some support,” she added.

Mrs. Scanlon also noted: “He was so intelligent, so wise. He knew he could make it in life and he would talk about it.

The investigation heard Shane spent his days in Dublin city center and Bray and was given a lift from Newbridge.

Ms Scanlon stated that the reality was that New Beginnings ran an “open ward” and it was impossible to physically stop the teenager from leaving.

She believed he spent a lot of time with his then girlfriend in Bray.

However, Ms Petcu expressed concern that at the age of 15, Shane could be allowed “all day long” to do whatever he wanted.

“What adult would allow a child to do something like that,” she noted.

There were emotional exchanges during the proceedings between several members of Shane’s family, including Ms O’Connor’s father, Seán, and her daughter, Róisín Waters, after the juror asked a question about the teenager’s access to cannabis.

Coroner Cróna Gallagher noted that it was a “very difficult situation”.

A short time later, Ms. Waters left the hearing, looking visibly upset, and did not return.

At another stage, Mr O’Connor described how his daughter and Shane were “very close”.

“They loved each other madly,” he noted.

O’Connor said that around the same time as her son’s death, the singer was suffering from mental problems.

“She couldn’t do more than she did, and that was a lot,” he added.

The psychiatrist who treated Shane at the Linn Dara Psychiatric Unit at the Cherry Orchard Hospital in Ballyfermot, Dublin, Tara Rudd, concluded that the teenager’s substance abuse had caused his mental problems.

Although his condition always improved after detoxification, Dr Rudd said Shane never considered giving up cannabis use.

She said Shane did not seek treatment services at Linn Dara because he was unable to do so.

Dr. Rudd talked warmly about how they argued often, but he always came back, apologized, and joked that he wouldn’t invite her to the housewarming party.

“All he wanted was to spend time with his family and have his own apartment,” Dr. Rudd recalled.

She added: “I feel sad for his family and for this young man that he didn’t live the life he deserved.”

The investigation heard that CAMHS requested that Shane be held at Linn Dara for the last three months before he turned 18.

However, Dr Rudd said this was not justified as he did not suffer from any active mental illness at the time and it would be “unfair”.

She told the coroner she thought it would be useful to establish a specialist young adult mental health service to help 16-25-year-olds transition from CAMHS to adult mental health services.

The jury of six men and two women made a number of recommendations, including that all HSE hospitals should have clear protocols for close supervision of vulnerable patients, especially children.

They also called for a review of missing persons reporting protocols to ensure gardaí accept reports from family members, Tusla and medical staff.

From the evidence heard, Tallaght Police officers did not accept the report from TUH staff that Shane was missing and said it must have been made by Tusla.

Closing the inquest, Dr Gallagher said the hearing involved “very complex evidence” which was also “very difficult and harrowing” but said he hoped it would be of some value to his family.

The coroner admitted Shane had suffered a lot in his short life but hoped he could “get through this crisis” as he grew older.

She said she could only imagine the shock his death had on the family, noting that he would have celebrated his 21st birthday next March.

If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call Samaritans free of charge 24 hours a day for confidential support on 116 123 or email [email protected].

You can also call the free national bereavement support line run by the HSE and Hospice Foundation Ireland on 1800-80 70 77 (Monday to Friday 10am-1pm) and contact details for support mental health services can be found at mentalhealthireland.ie/get support/.

In an emergency or if you or someone you care about is at risk of suicide or self-harm, call 999/112.