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Irish woman dies after assault in mental health ward BRITISH
police are trying to track down the family of an Irish woman after she
was strangled by a male patient in a mental hospital.
Rosalind McManus was being treated alongside other patients in the mixed-sex
ward when the assault happened.
She was attacked on a psychiatric wing of Birch Hill Hospital in Rochdale
in Greater Manchester last week and died after being transferred to Rochdale
Infirmary.
Nursing staff found Rosalind collapsed and gave her the kiss of life and
heart resuscitation but attempts to save her failed.
Male patient Telahum Tedola was later arrested and charged with murder.
A spokesman for Pennine Care NHS Trust said: “The Trust can confirm
that following an incident at Birch Hill Hospital, a female patient died
on the evening of August 13, 2007.”
Greater Manchester Police confirmed Ms McManus had died from strangulation.
But detectives have not yet traced any of Rosalind’s family and
are now appealing for relatives or anyone who knew of any family to contact
them.
Police said she has no known relatives in Britain and doctors only knew
she lived in the North of Ireland.
Detective Chief Inspector Dave Lever said: “This is a tragic case
in that Rosalind appears to have no immediate relatives currently living
in this country.
“She has been identified by staff at the hospital but we still want
to contact any next of kin.”
The tragic incident occurred at a time of increased calls for mixed sex
wards to be closed. |
