A TEENAGE girl who was brutally murdered in a care home said “social services destroyed my life”; according to an inquest.
, 18, was strangled by Jason Conroy, a fellow care home resident in October 2014.
The pair had been living at Alexandra House, a residential care home for adults with autism and Asperger’s syndrome in .
Jason Conroy was following the sexually motivated killing.
Avon Coroner’s Court heard how Jason had a history of violence, once trying to strange a teacher and attempting to kill his mother.
Hours before her death, Melissa had complained to staff at the facility that Jason was stalking her.
During , it emerged that Melissa had written a letter entitled Social Services Have Destroyed My Life.
In it she wrote: “This was a terrible time for me, and I felt like I was dragged away from my home and everything I knew and being completely disrupted.
“They never took into consideration my age or the distance from my family. I was still a child, just very confused.”;
The letter was given as part of her mother Karen’s , as Karen died from cancer a year after Melissa’s death.
Her father James is attending the inquest.
Karen Mathieson had written how “the system”; had failed both Melissa and Jason.
“We know better than most people the difficulties that , for our feelings about Jason Conroy are not based on ignorance of his condition,”; she said.
“What he has done is awful, we cannot comprehend it, so many people cannot comprehend it.
“Melissa did not have a nasty bone in her body. She was a gentle, kind and lovely girl.
“Not only has Jason Conroy ended Melissa’s life, but he has also ended his own. He should have had his problems addressed a long time ago.
“The , and it has failed Melissa.
“We question the professionals who have had the responsibility for his care, as much as we do of those who had a responsibility for Melissa’s care.”;
She went on to write that “there were warning signs”; about Conroy’s behaviour that were missed.
Karen added: “We want people to sit up, think and for their actions when dealing with people with learning disabilities.”;
Miss Mathieson, who was from Windsor, , had been sent to the Bristol-based home by when she turned 18 – after spending two years in a series of different placements.
Her mother described her as immature for her age, and “lived in a bit of a fantasy world”;.
She said she was influenced by the – in which a girl lives in a children’s home.
It led Melissa to make allegations that caused social services to get involved according to Karen.
She said: “Her behaviour was played out to us, we would put our foot down so because she did not have anything to compare it to – she thought we were being hard on her.”;
While her behaviour did not get more difficult, they found
“They did not seem to realise that Melissa loved the attention she got from and would often play them to get what she wanted,”; she said.
Social services then allegedly suggested that Melissa should live away from home, which “put Melissa in danger”;.
After struggling with at aged 16, she required hospital treatment, which Karen said was “a real turning point”; as the drugs left her “psychotic”;.
Karen said: “Melissa was never the same girl after this psychosis.
“She was in an environment that she was able to learn from other patients all about the things we have tried to protect her against.
“Then when she came home, she would have further outbursts. It was a truly horrible year.
“I used to go to bed and feel like I was running down a hill with a big rock chasing behind me. I was constantly trying to stay ahead.
“James felt like he was on a rollercoaster he couldn’t get off. We all had these issues, not caused by Melissa, but by the social services management.”;
It was after this that Melissa was sent to Alexandra House.
Karen said: “We were told that Melissa was going to Alexandra House to get her behaviour back on track, but actually she got killed by the very things that we always tried to teach her to be wary of.”;
