Admitted to a psychiatric care unit for an eating disorder, Ruth Szymankiewicz was allegedly supposed to be under round-the-clock care
NEED TO KNOW
- Teen Ruth Szymankiewicz died after being left alone for 15 minutes on a psychiatric ward, according to reports
- The 14-year-old was admitted to the ward at the now-closed Huntercombe Hospital in the U.K. for an eating disorder
- Szymankiewicz, who reportedly self-harmed, was allegedly supposed to be under round-the-clock care at the hospital
A 14-year-old girl died after she was left alone to self-harm at a mental health hospital in England where she was allegedly supposed to be under round-the-clock care, according to reports.
Ruth Szymankiewicz was found fatally injured in her room at Huntercombe Hospital, near the U.K. town of Maidenhead, on Feb. 12, 2022, per outlets including the BBC, Sky News and The Guardian. She died two days later at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
The facility, which was run by Active Care Group, is now permanently closed.
According to the BBC, an inquest jury at Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court concluded that Ruth, from the city of Salisbury, was unlawfully killed after she was left unaccompanied at the hospital for around 15 minutes.
Ruth, who was being treated for an eating disorder, was transferred to the location in October 2021, per the BBC.
The teenager was on the Thames Ward, which is a psychiatric intensive care unit known as a PICU, at the hospital and CCTV footage played to the jury showed her in the television room with her support worker, a man who went by the name Ebo Achempong, in her final moments, Sky News reported.
Achempong was allegedly hired by an agency after using a false name and fake documents, the outlet stated, adding that he repeatedly left Ruth on her own, despite her needing constant observation. He’s allegedly since returned to Ghana.
On the night of Ruth’s fatal injuries, she was seen on CCTV going to her bedroom at around 8 p.m. local time after her support worker left the TV room, the BBC reported.
The inquest heard that the unit where Ruth had been was regularly understaffed, adding that on the day the teenager harmed herself, 50 percent of the workers were agency staff, Sky News reported, noting that Ruth was also not prevented from accessing harmful content online.
Never miss a story — sign up for’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
The jury found that the care Ruth had been given was “not suitable nor conducive” to helping her recovery, and that contributions to her death included staff not being trained properly, per the BBC. Another contributing factor was that visiting arrangements only allowed one family member to see her at a time.
The hospital had previously been rated inadequate in February 2021, before being listed as “requires improvement” that September in two separate inspections by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in 2021, the BBC reported.
A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said in a statement obtained by , “Our deepest sympathies are with Ruth’s family and friends. This is a shocking case and it is clear that care at the Huntercombe Hospital fell far below the standards we expect.”
“Young with mental health issues have not been getting the care they need where they need it,” the statement added, noting that the department had instructed the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS) to prioritize “increasing the availability of mental health beds.”
The department said it’s investing around almost $102 million this year “to reduce inappropriate out of area placements so that patients can receive care closer to home.”
Thames Valley Police said in a statement obtained by , “Following a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding this death, we can confirm that our enquiries have now concluded and the death is now a matter for His Majesty’s Coroner,” adding, “Our thoughts remain with Ruth’s family.”
Ruth’s parents, Kate and Mark Szymankiewicz, spoke out about the jury’s conclusion in a statement outside Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court, per the BBC.
Mark said, “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,” he added.
Kate shared, “There is an empty space at our table, a silent bedroom in our home and a gaping hole in our family that will never be filled.”
The Active Care Group said in a statement obtained by , “We extend our heartfelt condolences to Ruth’s family, friends, and all those affected by her passing. We deeply regret the tragic event that occurred, and we are truly sorry for the distress this has caused and [recognize] the profound impact it has had on everyone who knew her.”
“We are disappointed that a third-party company we engaged in good faith explicitly breached the terms of our contract with them and this played a role in the circumstances leading to Ruth’s tragic death,” the statement continued, adding that ACG no longer works with the recruitment company used to hire Acheampong following Ruth’s death.
“We have not engaged this agency since the incident. The safety and wellbeing of those we support must never be compromised, and we expect every [organization] we work with to consistently uphold the highest possible standards,” the company said, insisting that “in recent years, we have made significant improvements to the quality and safety in all of our services.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, The Alliance for Eating Disorders provides a fully-staffed helpline at 1-866-662-1235, as well as free, therapist-led support groups.
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
Read the original article on