Vulnerable Teen's Tragic Death Exposes Systemic Failures in Mental Health Care

In a heartbreaking turn of events, 14-year-old Ruth Szymankiewicz tragically passed away in 2023 after self-harming at an understaffed psychiatric ward where she was receiving care. According to the findings of a recent inquest, Ruth's death was ruled an "unlawful killing" due to a litany of systematic failures in her treatment.

Ruth, who had been struggling with an eating disorder, Tourette's syndrome, and a tic condition, was placed at Huntercombe Hospital in October 2022 after her mental health had declined. However, during her time at the facility, she was denied crucial therapy, had limited access to psychologists, and was only allowed to see her family twice a week.

Tragically, the situation came to a head when Ruth attempted to flee the hospital in late 2022, only to be forcibly restrained and returned. In a harrowing note found after her death, the teenager pleaded to shut down the "s***tiest mental health institution" she was being held in, citing the "unsafe number of staff" and how the place "makes you worse."

Ultimately, the inquest found that Ruth's care was overseen by an agency worker who was working under a fake name and had received only a day or a day and a half of online training before his first shift on the understaffed ward. This worker, known as Ebo Achempong, fled the country and could not be questioned by police.

The devastating loss of Ruth has sparked outrage and calls for urgent reform within the mental health system. Her parents, Mark and Kate, have made a heartfelt plea for their daughter's story to be remembered, in the hopes that it can drive tangible change to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.