In December 2021, the HSE published an executive summary of a report in relation to 108 sexual assaults on up to 18 intellectually disabled residents at the care facility Ard Greine based in Stranorlar, Co Donegal. Many of the intellectually disabled victims were non-verbal.
The report published by the HSE gave the man at the centre of the abuse a pseudonym Brandon and he is described as a person with a mild-to-moderate intellectual disability and bipolar affective disorder. The perpetrator Brandon passed away in 2020.
The disturbing fact relieved in the report is that the assaults continued from 1993 until Brandon was transferred out of the facility in 2016, however inappropriate behavior has been documented as far back as 1997. The HSE has said it wants to apologise to residents and their families for the failings in the care of the HSE residential and daycare services for adults with intellectual disabilities in the North-West and that it fully accepted the findings of the report.
If you believe that your loved one may have been the victim of the sexual assaults perpetrated at the care home in Donegal, you should contact a solicitor who has extensive experience in the area of medical negligence.
The HSE has an obligation to provide a reasonably safe environment and failure to maintain adequate health and safety policies or failure to provide the required standard of care to protect the rights of people with disabilities and to provide a safe place to live amounts to negligence and your loved one may be entitled to compensation for the assault and trauma that they have endured.
Each resident from the care home is entitled through their representatives to a copy of their medical records and furthermore, they are entitled to know if they are identified as victims in the HSE’s recent report.
If your loved one is a resident of the care home in Stranorlar and you have concerns about their care and treatment, please do not hesitate to contact us at McElhinney & Associates Solicitors, Drumboe Lodge, Stranorlar, Co. Donegal on 074 91 75989 or admin@mcelhinneyassociates.com.
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**This information is for guidance purposes only. It does not constitute legal or professional advice. Professional or legal advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from any action as a result of the contents of this publication. No liability is accepted by McElhinney & Associates for any action taken in reliance on the information contained herein. Any and all information is subject to change.
