Women being sexually assaulted in hospital.(Warning extremely disturbing)

[HoldingTheDoor]

I don't really have any answers but I am utterly sickened by the reports of alleged sexual assaults in a Blackpool hospital.(Please note that I use alleged only because I don't wish to jeopardise the court case, not because I don't believe the women.

A healthcare worker has been charged with sexually assaulting 7 women in Blackpool Victoria Hospital. There's also a murder investigation which is still ongoing.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-56273270

It's beyond horrific. I appreciate that hospitals are very short staffed but should men be allowed to be left alone with vulnerable women? I'm beginning to think definitely not. They should have to be chaperoned.

I remember my Mother waking up in hospital after being admitted due to seizures to find a staff member, who was also a neighbour who made her feel extremely uncomfortable, looming over her and how vulnerable it made her feel.

You don't get much more vulnerable than an elderly woman on a stroke ward and yet allegedly women were put in a position where they could be raped and assaulted. Something needs to be done.

Apologies for the rant but it's terrifying that we have literally no places of safety. Where the hell are our safe spaces?

I agree OP
Especially as I was sexually assaulted by a consultant because I was the chaperone for my daughter.
I have an ongoing civil claim because surprise surprise no CCTV so no criminal prosecution.
I bet the guy who assaulted me has done it umpteen times before- but try telling hospital management that!
We are the crazy women who over-exaggerate friendliness or make up shit to poor, unsuspecting men. Always for attention or for financial gain.
As if sexual assault was a fun way of doing either…

Horrible

Blue4You I am so sorry that you were assaulted. It's utterly sickening that there is no situation that these men won't take advantage of.

I appreciate that it's also an issue for staff and visitors but I just feel so disgusted that a 75 year old stroke victim was allegedly sexually assaulted to the extent that she haemorrhaged to death, not only sickened by the possible perpetrator, but that the system put her in a situation where a man could do this to her. Women should not be left in a position where they are vulnerable to assault in hospital.

Yes OP it’s sickening. Horrific

This is far from the first time this has happened and I'm not expecting much change to come from it. They'll claim to have learned from it but it won't be the case. We'll still be told NAMALT and women and girls will continue to be put in situations where they're vulnerable to assault and rape.

As the conviction of David Fuller proves, we aren't even safe when we're dead and no one else really seems to give a shit.

I agree and I’m wondering if there’s ever going to be a big reveal like there has been for the police.
There was another case in the Trust I’m taking action against where a woman in a mental health facility was assaulted and the Trust had to apologise for not investigating properly.
I don’t believe they investigated my assault at all.

I wish there was a way of escalating these sorts of crimes but it’s always “oh we can’t just take your word for it. He’s a doctor/HCP don’t you know”.

There was a case in my country where a staff member impregnated an incapacitated woman. He was only caught because of the dna evidence from the baby.

That news story led me to others. I read enough to land on the firm belief that in hospitals and care facilities, if a woman is designated as vulnerable or incapacitated, even temporarily by sedation, no male should be allowed to enter her space without a chaperone. That edict should extend to all staff from the janitors to the senior physician. An exception can be made for emergencies with the understanding that the incident will be document afterwards.

I actually asked the CEO of the Trust in my case to consider CCTV in examination rooms (they have them in corridors to protect the staff and though I appreciate it’s different in examination rooms there’s got to be a way to stop this happening) if they won’t put a chaperone in with male consultants /doctors regardless of whether the woman in question would be expected to remove clothing.
He said no - categorically refused to entertain it.
Given that the perpetrator defence/ the NAMALT line is “sexually motivated crimes are so awful that only the most serious/objective evidence counts because a sex crime allegation can ruin innocent lives/women commit sex crimes too etc” you’d think male HCPs would applaud having some form of protection.
I don’t know the answer either but either an open door/chaperone if it’s involving removal of clothing and CCTV if no clothing being removed…?
We can’t just go on the word and reputation of all the decent police or health professionals- it’s like the Catholic Church all over again.

Also I feel that the “what can we do the NHS is on its knees/blame the Tories/underfunding” way of thinking just aids this attitude because then HCPs know just how unlikely a woman is to be believed because it just doesn’t suit the NHS to act on these scenarios.

It often takes repeated offences for action to be taken. It’s shameful

That’s horrifying

Hospitals are not safe spaces. They should be, but they really aren't. Sexual abuse is horrible, but it's just one of the types of abuses occurring in these places. Non-sexual sadistic abuse, and good old neglect, are also a thing.

There's often a culture of cover up which allows bad behaviour to fester unchallenged. Don't underestimate either the amount of bullying and harassment targetted at staff members. It all goes hand in hand.

After an emergency c section I woke up still on my trolley but in a room with two male porters standing at the end of the bed. I’m sure nothing had happened but who knows!! I was vulnerable, on my own and knocked out!

This is horrifying.

Another case today of a male nurse charged with sexual assault and voyeurism. 3 victims haven’t been identified because he filmed their ‘intimate areas’ during day case surgery. I was sterilised at the hospital within the 3 year period it occurred and even though I wouldn’t know it still feels horrible.