'Loving' girl died after being left alone by carer using fake ID who later fled to Ghana

The parents of a teenage girl who died after she was left alone in a children's mental health ward by a carer using fake ID who later fled the country, have described their daughter as a "loving and adventurous girl with a whole life of joy ahead of her". Ruth Szymankiewicz was being treated for an eating disorder at Huntercombe Hospital in Berkshire and had been placed under strict one-to-one observation when, on February 12, 2022, she was left on her own by the member of staff who was not supposed to leave her side.

The 14-year-old was able to shut herself in her bedroom at the hospital's psychiatric intensive care unit - also known as Thames ward - where she self-harmed, then died two days later at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. On Thursday, an inquest jury sitting at Buckinghamshire Coroner's Court in Beaconsfield returned a conclusion of unlawful killing. Ms Szymankiewicz's parents, Mark and Kate Szymankiewicz, said in a statement they read out outside the court following the conclusion: "Ruth was an incredible, bright, friendly, loving and adventurous girl with a whole life of joy ahead of her.

"She, like many other teenagers, developed an eating disorder.

"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.

"The inquest has been a harrowing and traumatic process for us, not just in reliving the awful reality of her neglect, but also bringing to light even more than we had feared at the time."

The agency worker responsible for watching Ms Szymankiewicz - a man then known as Ebo Acheampong - had never worked in a psychiatric hospital environment before coming to Huntercombe on February 12, 2022, for his first shift. A police investigation later found he was hired by the Platinum agency - which supplied staff for Huntercombe Hospital - under a false name.

Acheampong never returned to work at the hospital following the incident and fled the UK for Ghana. Referring to Acheampong's failure to supervise their daughter on Thames ward, Ms Szymankiewicz's parents said: "Over the last two weeks, we have heard about the numerous systemic failures at Huntercombe Hospital. It would be easy to be distracted by the failings of one individual.

"However shocking that conduct might have been, it is paramount that the other wider and more important issues are acknowledged and addressed.

"Having been detained in a unit she should never have been sent to, Ruth was repeatedly denied access to the love and support of her family. We were excluded and completely disempowered. She was isolated, scared and alone.

"There were several important first-line treatments that Ruth desperately needed, but never received. She was immersed in a highly chaotic environment and denied the safety and structure she craved.

"She had very limited encouragement to access the education she loved. As a child who thrived on her connection with nature, she was essentially caged.

"She withdrew more into herself as she tried to navigate and survive months in a poorly trained, understaffed and unsafe ward. She was trapped."

Her parents, who are a consultant surgeon and a GP, added: "We also heard powerful accounts of the huge ongoing challenges faced nationally across mental health services for children and young people.

"As healthcare professionals we understand the pressures that come with working within the NHS, and particularly so within mental health services.

"We thank all those working so very hard to look after our children and young people, and especially those that met Ruth along her journey and did indeed show much care and kindness.

"You need more resources, more research, more training, more recognition and more support. What you do matters every day and every night."

Her parents said they hope by sharing her story it will "help inform the change needed in children's mental health services".

They added: "Ruth was our daughter. An adored sister, cousin, niece, granddaughter and friend.

"But she could just as easily be your child, your niece or nephew, your grandchild.

"One in five children in this country have mental health problems, and if your child is above the age of 10, they are more likely to die from suicide than childhood cancer or accidents.

"That is the shocking, but rarely discussed truth. We hope that by sharing her story it can help inform the change needed in children's mental health services.

"We are very aware that a new mental health act is currently going through parliament, with a narrow window of opportunity to address some of these key issues.

"So we ask this, whether you are an MP, a health worker, a teacher, a social worker, an early years worker, a parent, grandparent or friend; whatever role you have in life.

"Remember Ruth's story. Remember her in the faces of the young people who look to you for help and support. What happened to Ruth is shocking, tragic and harrowing.

"Whilst there is much more to be said, if change can come from her story, it can make a tangible difference to others."

For help and advice on seeking mental health support visit the NHS website here.