There is an empty space at our table, a silent bedroom in our home, a gaping hole in our family that will never be filled. We should be getting ready to celebrate Ruth’s 18th birthday in a few weeks’ time. She was just 14 when she died, now 3 ½ years ago.
Ruth was an incredible, bright, friendly, loving and adventurous girl with a whole life of joy ahead of her. She, like many other teenagers, developed an eating disorder. When, at our most vulnerable as a family, we reached out for help; we ultimately found ourselves trapped in a system that was meant to care for her, to help her, to keep her safe, but instead locked her away and harmed her.
The inquest has been a harrowing and traumatic process for us, not just in reliving the awful reality of her neglect, but also bringing to light even more than we had feared at the time.
Over the last two weeks, we have heard about the numerous systemic failures at Huntercombe Hospital. It would be easy to be distracted by the failings of one individual. However shocking that conduct might have been, it is paramount that the other wider and more important issues are acknowledged and addressed.
Having been detained in a unit she should never have been sent to, Ruth was repeatedly denied access to the love and support of her family. We were excluded and completely disempowered. She was isolated, scared and alone. However this is framed, it is fundamentally wrong and needs to change. It is not ok. In any circumstances.
There were several important first-line treatments that Ruth desperately needed, but never received. She was immersed in a highly chaotic environment and denied the safety and structure she craved. She had very limited encouragement to access the education she loved. As a child who thrived on her connection with nature, she was essentially caged. She withdrew more into herself as she tried to navigate and survive months in a poorly trained, understaffed and unsafe ward. She was trapped. With no-one to comfort her, no-one to try to alleviate her suffering, no-one to cuddle.
We have ongoing serious concerns around the governance of Ruth’s care, and by extension the ongoing governance of other units throughout the country. We particularly question the role that the CQC played, something that was deemed to be outside the scope of this inquest. Despite all the warnings, nothing meaningfully changed at Huntercombe; leaving it unsafe and unfit for purpose. A legal loophole meant that a criminal prosecution against the Active Care Group after her death was not possible as they had already received a prior official warning about the same issues.
Ruth was our daughter. An adored sister, cousin, niece, granddaughter and friend. But she could just as easily be your child, your niece or nephew, your grandchild. 1 in 5 children in this country have mental health problems, and if your child is above the age of 10, they are more likely to die from suicide than childhood cancer or accidents. That is the shocking, but rarely discussed truth.
We also heard powerful accounts of the huge ongoing challenges faced nationally across Mental Health services for children and young people. As healthcare professionals we understand the pressures that come with working within the NHS, and particularly so within mental health services. We thank all those working so very hard to look after our children and young people. And especially those that met Ruth along her journey and did indeed show much care and kindness. You need more resources, more research, more training, more recognition and more support. What you do matters every day and every night.
The Coronial process itself has been difficult and felt overly restrictive. Whilst some questions have been answered, many remain. It is also a process that would have been impossible to navigate without the guidance of the charity INQUEST and the legal team that acted as our advocates. We are forever grateful for the incredible work and support of Charlotte, Alison and Tim. It is thanks to them that Ruth has had her voice heard.
We would also like to thank the jury for their commitment to holding Ruth at the centre of their deliberations. We are conscious that this will have been a difficult and harrowing experience for them too.
Sadly none of this makes any difference to Ruth, or our family’s experience. However, we hope that by sharing her story it can help inform the change needed in children’s mental health services. We are very aware that a new mental health act is currently going through parliament, with a narrow window of opportunity to address some of these key issues.
So we ask this, whether you are an MP, a health worker, a teacher, a social worker, an early years worker, a parent, grandparent or friend; whatever role you have in life. Remember Ruth’s story. Remember her in the faces of the young people who look to you for help and support.
What happened to Ruth is shocking, tragic and harrowing. Whilst there is much more to be said, if change can come from her story, it can make a tangible difference to others.
Thank you.
Ruth Szymankiewicz
CONTENT WARNING: Please read with care as this page may involve information on death, suicide, mental illness, disability, state neglect, and police and prison violence that some people may find upsetting. If you need support, please visit our support page.
There is an empty space at our table, a silent bedroom in our home, a gaping hole in our family that will never be filled. We should be getting ready to celebrate Ruth’s 18th birthday in a few weeks’ time. She was just 14 when she died, now 3 ½ years ago.
Ruth was an incredible, bright, friendly, loving and adventurous girl with a whole life of joy ahead of her. She, like many other teenagers, developed an eating disorder. When, at our most vulnerable as a family, we reached out for help; we ultimately found ourselves trapped in a system that was meant to care for her, to help her, to keep her safe, but instead locked her away and harmed her.
The inquest has been a harrowing and traumatic process for us, not just in reliving the awful reality of her neglect, but also bringing to light even more than we had feared at the time.
Over the last two weeks, we have heard about the numerous systemic failures at Huntercombe Hospital. It would be easy to be distracted by the failings of one individual. However shocking that conduct might have been, it is paramount that the other wider and more important issues are acknowledged and addressed.
Having been detained in a unit she should never have been sent to, Ruth was repeatedly denied access to the love and support of her family. We were excluded and completely disempowered. She was isolated, scared and alone. However this is framed, it is fundamentally wrong and needs to change. It is not ok. In any circumstances.
There were several important first-line treatments that Ruth desperately needed, but never received. She was immersed in a highly chaotic environment and denied the safety and structure she craved. She had very limited encouragement to access the education she loved. As a child who thrived on her connection with nature, she was essentially caged. She withdrew more into herself as she tried to navigate and survive months in a poorly trained, understaffed and unsafe ward. She was trapped. With no-one to comfort her, no-one to try to alleviate her suffering, no-one to cuddle.
We have ongoing serious concerns around the governance of Ruth’s care, and by extension the ongoing governance of other units throughout the country. We particularly question the role that the CQC played, something that was deemed to be outside the scope of this inquest. Despite all the warnings, nothing meaningfully changed at Huntercombe; leaving it unsafe and unfit for purpose. A legal loophole meant that a criminal prosecution against the Active Care Group after her death was not possible as they had already received a prior official warning about the same issues.
Ruth was our daughter. An adored sister, cousin, niece, granddaughter and friend. But she could just as easily be your child, your niece or nephew, your grandchild. 1 in 5 children in this country have mental health problems, and if your child is above the age of 10, they are more likely to die from suicide than childhood cancer or accidents. That is the shocking, but rarely discussed truth.
We also heard powerful accounts of the huge ongoing challenges faced nationally across Mental Health services for children and young people. As healthcare professionals we understand the pressures that come with working within the NHS, and particularly so within mental health services. We thank all those working so very hard to look after our children and young people. And especially those that met Ruth along her journey and did indeed show much care and kindness. You need more resources, more research, more training, more recognition and more support. What you do matters every day and every night.
The Coronial process itself has been difficult and felt overly restrictive. Whilst some questions have been answered, many remain. It is also a process that would have been impossible to navigate without the guidance of the charity INQUEST and the legal team that acted as our advocates. We are forever grateful for the incredible work and support of Charlotte, Alison and Tim. It is thanks to them that Ruth has had her voice heard.
We would also like to thank the jury for their commitment to holding Ruth at the centre of their deliberations. We are conscious that this will have been a difficult and harrowing experience for them too.
Sadly none of this makes any difference to Ruth, or our family’s experience. However, we hope that by sharing her story it can help inform the change needed in children’s mental health services. We are very aware that a new mental health act is currently going through parliament, with a narrow window of opportunity to address some of these key issues.
So we ask this, whether you are an MP, a health worker, a teacher, a social worker, an early years worker, a parent, grandparent or friend; whatever role you have in life. Remember Ruth’s story. Remember her in the faces of the young people who look to you for help and support.
What happened to Ruth is shocking, tragic and harrowing. Whilst there is much more to be said, if change can come from her story, it can make a tangible difference to others.
Thank you.
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