CUH cites impending court proceedings as it refuses to give review details
Cork University Hospital has refused to give details of a review, sparked by a sexual assault incident at the hospital, blaming "impending court proceedings".
A 17-year-old girl was attacked by a male patient who was convicted of sexual assault earlier this year.
After the February court hearing, hospital management announced it reviewed admission protocols.
But it has not published the review’’s findings or explained what changes it has brought in since the attack.
And as a result, there have been calls for CUH to explain what changes it brought in.
The Irish Examiner asked for details of the review via a Freedom of Information request.
But the request has been refused because of “impending court proceedings”.
The hospital has explained the FOI request concerns records covered by “legal professional privilege”.
CUH services manager Marie McCarthy said: “The records withheld under this exemption relate to communication between the HSE, legal counsel and impending court proceedings.
“Consequently it is my informed decision that they cannot be released at this time.”
Abuse campaigners last month called on CUH to end its ‘shocking silence’ over the sexual assault of the 17-year-old girl in an all-male room on May 14, 2018.
Because of her physical injuries at the time she could not reach the call-button over her head to call for help.
Nurses were only alerted because the alarm on her 62-year-old attacker Andrew O’Donovan’s heart monitor went off because his heart rate shot up during the assault.
When he gave him an 18-month suspended jail term for assaulting her, Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin criticised CUH.
He questioned how a vulnerable young girl was placed in a ward with the 62-year-old schizophrenic from Butlersgift, Drimoleague, County Cork.
"You have to question in circumstances like this what management was doing,” he said at his sentencing hearing on February 11.
“There appears to be no system of management or supervision.
“Management of these hospitals would want to be bucked up a small bit.
The victim said in her impact statement: “I thought I would be safe in hospital.”
One of the details CUH won’t release on FOI is the exact date it began its review of admission protocols.
