Girl's plea to be moved out of secure unit housing teen male offenders rejected

A 13-year-old girl’s request to be moved out of a Scottish secure unit housing teenage male offenders was rejected, a European watchdog has revealed.

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), which assesses how persons deprived of their liberty are treated, visited a number of prisons and units across the country last June.

During a visit to St Mary’s Kenmure in Bishopbriggs, the schoolgirl was found being housed with 11 boys aged between 15 and 17, placed at the facility by Scotland’s youth justice pathway.

The 13-year-old, the only female at the facility, had been sent to the complex by English social services “due to a lack of provision.”

In an effort to “avoid isolating her”, she was held alongside the boys who were either sentenced or on remand.

The teenager had lodged a complaint regarding her housing with young offender adolescent boys, stating that she was “not feeling safe, due to past bad experiences”.

A request made to transfer her to an empty house block was rejected.

St Mary’s Kenmure was also the subject of a “deeply critical” report by the Care Inspectorate in October 2024, which found “significant concerns” with the quality of care provided to young people.

It added that there was a “serious risk” to the life of young people on site if more were admitted.

The East Dunbartonshire facility was issued with a prevention notice over any new admissions to the site and has since been allowed to operate at a reduced capacity.

The CPT’s report stated that children detained under criminal legislation should not be held “deprived of their liberty on other grounds”.

The committee recommended that if St Mary’s is unable to separate those sent to the facility due to criminal behaviour and those there for other reasons, the individual should be transferred to another children’s centre.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government ran a public consultation on the future of secure care, and the resulting analysis is due to be published later this summer.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “Secure accommodation services are registered with the Care Inspectorate to care for boys and girls up to age 18 together, and this is not a new approach.

“Providers have robust matching procedures to ensure the safety of all children. Placement decisions remain with expert decision makers who consider the needs, vulnerabilities, risks and rights of each individual child and others within a unit.”

It is understood that the girl has not lived at the complex for over a year.

A St Mary’s Kenmure spokesperson said: “We do not comment on the circumstances of individual children, past or present, in order to protect their privacy and wellbeing.

“We can, however, confirm that St Mary’s Kenmure has clear procedures in place for children and young people to raise concerns or complaints.

“Every complaint is taken seriously, responded to appropriately, and shared with the relevant placing authority. Children and young people also have access to independent advocacy services to ensure their voices are heard.”