An Aberdeenshire mum fears her son will spend the rest of his life in Scotland’s state hospital 14 years after he was first locked up.
Anguished Tracey Gibbon told us her family has been “broken” by their unending nightmare as she protested at Holyrood for her son to be freed.
She joined campaigners enduring similar ordeals as they pushed for the SNP to improve care for Scots left languishing in psychiatric units.
Kyle Gibbon, now aged 36, has learning difficulties and ADHD.
He was first transferred to Carstairs in 2009, and has never been let out of the high security Lanarkshire facility since.
I feel that Kyle could be in there for a lifetime.
– Tracey Gibbon.
His mum, from Kemnay, lives more than three hours away and is only allowed to see him for one hour when she visits.
Speaking at Holyrood, she told the P&J: “I feel that Kyle could be in there for a lifetime. There’s no way of getting him out.
“I just want Kyle to have a life. He wants to work. He wants to contribute to society.
“He wants a life. I want him to be free. He’s lost his youth in the state hospital. You can’t give him that back.”
‘Broken’
She added: “It’s just broken the family. Kyle is now feeling how long he’s been there.
“They dictate if you go in, when you go in, if you can talk to him, I don’t get a private call – I’ve got no rights, and I’ve got no say over my son’s treatment.
“It’s ruined my life. It’s ruined his life. It’s a living, constant nightmare.”
Ms Gibbon has repeatedly criticised the decision to lock up her son in Carstairs alongside violent rapists and killers.
Campaigners want to ensure families with kids who have learning difficulties don’t need to experience the same pain.
Ms Gibbon admitted she worries for the future of her own family, since her grandson has autism.
She said: “I’ve got a grandson with autism, and I wouldn’t want this future for him. People shouldn’t lose their life because they have a meltdown.”
In parliament on Thursday, First Minister Humza Yousaf was quizzed by Aberdeenshire West Tory MSP Alexander Burnett, who represents Ms Gibbon and her son, on what is being done to help autistic patients trapped in care.
It comes four months before SNP ministers aim to implement recommendations from a major report aimed at reducing unnecessary hospital stays.
Mr Yousaf said: “We are, as a government, absolutely committed to delivering the coming home recommendations to reduce inappropriate hospital stays, and out of area placements experienced by people with learning difficulties and complex care needs.”
The SNP leader said his government had freed up £20 million with the aim of allowing local communities to care for residents with learning difficulties.
Unimpressed
But Ms Gibbon was unimpressed with the first minister’s response, and is just desperate to find a path to freedom for her son.
She told us: “There was nothing much from it, just what they’ve said before.”
Mr Burnett, who represents Ms Gibbon and Kyle, said: “It’s impossible to imagine being a teenager with autism and growing up in a secure unit, sometimes next to hardened criminals.
“But this is the reality faced by Kyle and many others, just because of delayed discharges or the appropriate care not being in place in their communities.
“I’ve brought this to the attention of successive health secretaries but nothing has been done.”
Speaking at the demonstration, he added: “I certainly didn’t hear any answer today that showed a route home for some of the people imprisoned, including my constituent Kyle Gibbon.”
A state hospital spokesperson said: “No one has been admitted to the state hospital because they have autism or a learning disability.
“No one in the state hospital only has a diagnosis of autism.
“People have multiple needs and the other issues are usually what will have brought somebody into the state hospital.”
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