BLOOD ON OUR HANDS

There can be few people involved with vulnerable youngsters who will not have been touched, and outraged, by the tragic story this week of the suicidal teenage girl unable to get the support she needs.

In his summing up, High Court Judge Justice Munby is widely quoted as saying that authorities will have ‘blood on our hands’.

I would argue that we already have blood on our hands, and have done for some time. Sadly, when times are tough financially and budget cuts need to be made, it is often the most vulnerable in our society who are the most affected. Their circumstances make it difficult for them to find a voice, to make sure that they are heard, and taken seriously.

The road to suicide can be a long and painful one; often dealt with alone and in secrecy, either through the shame of their feelings and actions, or because those around them are too consumed by their own problems to find the time and space to offer support and get them the help they so badly need.

There are many reason why people choose to end their own lives. In almost all cases it is not that they actually wish to die, but that they find their circumstances so unbearable they can see no other way out. Combine this with mental illness as a result of untreated symptoms and we end up with a toxic mixture.

In all local authorities, there is much talk of ‘prevention’ but little evidence of this taking place as resources are stretched to the limit. This reactive approach means than any intervention that takes place, if indeed there is any, is invariably too late.

Oganisations such as MIND and Samaritans are constantly handling calls from those in complete despair. They know that their life is hell and that in order to get through the day they need professional outside support but all too often they find that they are waiting weeks and months, and even then, the support they receive does not always meet their needs.

The lack of secure residential places for those in extreme distress is just the tip of the iceberg. What I would like to see happen is more of a concerted effort towards ensuring that intervention takes place at the earliest opportunity.

In the case of this young woman, as shocking as it may sound, she may well be better off if allowed to take her own life. The road to recovery for her may be just too late. We should hang our heads in shame at this systematic failure in a so-called civilised society.