Allegations of rape and sexual assault by mental health patients within the NHS have surfaced.

A joint investigation by Sky News and The Independent revealed almost 20,000 reports of sexual assault, abuse, and harassment, involving patients and staff, spanning over 30 mental health trusts in England since 2019.

The inquiry was initiated following the testimony of Alexis Quinn, a former British youth swimmer, shared in the new Sky News podcast, Patient 11, after Quinn fled psychiatric care amid claims of sexual assault by male patients.

The study defines sexual safety incidents as any unwanted sexual behavior causing discomfort or a sense of insecurity, encompassing rape, sexual assault, harassment, sexual comments, or witnessing sexual behavior, including exposure to nudity.

Between January and August 2023, almost 4,000 sexual safety incidents were reported, surpassing the annual totals for both 2019 and 2020, according to the investigation, which involved over 50 freedom of information requests to NHS England mental health trusts.

Another freedom of information request by The Independent disclosed that out of over 800 allegations of sexual assault and rape involving female patients across more than 20 trusts from 2019 to 2023, only 95 were reported to the police.

Former Victim’s Commissioner Dame Vera Baird termed the findings a "national scandal"

Dive deeper

In 2011, the Department of Health pledged to eliminate mixed-sex care in all its inpatient services. However, the investigation revealed that more than 12 years later, there are numerous reports of rape and sexual assault allegations in mixed-sex wards and shared spaces within NHS England psychiatric care.

Wes Streeting, Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary, expressed concern over the "chilling" revelation that these "horrific" alleged crimes were reported to have occurred within the NHS.

“The government must treat this investigation as a wake-up call and act against the soaring number of mixed-sex wards in the NHS today,” Streeting said.

NHS England stated that it is implementing measures to enhance the safety of both patients and staff, including the implementation of improved reporting mechanisms, training programs, and support systems.

“NHS England has advised all Trusts and local health systems to appoint a domestic abuse and sexual violence lead to support patients and staff to report incidents and access support, with more than 300 now in place,” it added.

Chilling testimonies

The account of Alexis Quinn, a former British youth swimmer featured in the Sky News podcast Patient 11, triggered the investigations. Alexis, a teacher and mother, entered care in 2012 after her brother's death. Diagnosed with autism, she reported being sexually assaulted in an all-male ward at Littlebrook Hospital in Kent in 2013.

A second complaint was made in 2014 at St. Martin's Hospital. Autism patients Rivkah Grant and Stephanie Tutty shared incidents of sexual abuse in NHS mental health inpatient settings. Rivkah's attacker was convicted in 2017, while Stephanie's case didn't proceed due to low conviction likelihood.
 
“What happened with [the alleged abuser] will always have a lasting impact on me, even more so than the first rape that made me unwell in the first place,” she said.

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