The Daily Telegraph

Judge says he ‘saved’ suicidal teenager

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 A leading High Court judge has said a suicidal girl may not have been saved without his public interventi­on.

Sir James Munby said he was concerned that the 17-year-old, known as X, would not have been found a bed had he not warned in a judgment last week that society would have “blood on our hands” if she was not helped.

She has now been found a specialist placement, where she is due to move on Friday.

In a new judgment handed down yesterday, the judge, who is head of the Family Division of the High Court, said: “I cannot escape the powerful feeling that, but for my judgment, the steps subsequent­ly taken would have been neither as effective nor as speedily effective as appears to have been the case.

“This, however, is not a matter for congratula­tion; on the contrary, it is, of itself, yet further cause for concern.

“The provision of the care that someone like X needs should not be dependent upon judicial involvemen­t, nor should someone like X be privileged just because her case comes before a very senior judge.”

Last week he said the case, which involved a girl at high risk of suicide, but who had no placement following her expected release from a secure unit on August 14, made him “ashamed” of the mental health system.

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