Families concerned by the placement of two serial paedophile brothers in a psychiatric unit where other vulnerable patients live have received an apology from the Western Health Trust.
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Worried relatives demanded a meeting with health officials after it emerged James and Owen Roe McDermott had been admitted to Lakeview in Londonderry's Gransha Hospital.
The pair, from the Co Fermanagh village of Donagh, have been at the centre of controversy since being declared mentally unfit to stand trial for a catalogue of sex crimes against children over a 30-year period.
A third brother, John McDermott, was jailed for nine years for his part in the abuse. A fourth, Peter McDermott, took his own life during the trial.
During a meeting on Friday, which lasted more than two hours, health officials said sorry for the lack of communication with the relatives of other patients in the unit.
But there has been no resolution of the issue, with the brothers still present on the ward after more than a week.
Those opposed to the McDermotts being treated at Lakeview have already told UTV they will not accept any compromise.
"We are all supporting each other and with the one cause in mind - we want the brothers removed," Margaret Pollock, whose daughter Michelle is a Lakeview resident, said ahead of the meeting.
During the talks, which families' representative Dermot O'Hara admitted were "fairly heated", the Trust outlined the safeguards which have been put in place to deal with any potential risks posed to patients.
"Some people have lost trust in the Trust, so there was quite a bit of reassurance needed," Mr O'Hara said.
"However, we're confident that we're on the way to resolving this issue."
Trust officials have identified a number of possible ways to resolve the situation and will discuss those at another meeting next Tuesday.
But one patient's mother, Mary Doherty, insisted: "If they come back to us on Tuesday and tell us the McDermotts aren't being moved, then we're taking another step.
"We don't know yet what that step will be but, rest assured, we'll fight until they're removed."
SDLP Foyle MP Mark Durkan said: "This was a difficult meeting at times but it was a necessary meeting. The Trust were upfront in their apology about the lack of communication to the families about this, whereas, the families were very clear they regarded this as an inappropriate setting for these two men with the convictions that they have."
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