Sharp rise in rape attacks in UK hospitals

The British police have received more than 1,600 reports of sexual attacks in hospitals in the last three years, with the record revealing a hidden surge in sexual abuse in health centers.

Records obtained by the British daily The Guardian show a 50% rise in reports of sexual violence in hospitals since 2011. The figures include a total of 1,615 alleged attacks, including at least 157 rape allegations.

Last year, the Metropolitan police had been told of 17 rapes and 124 other sex offenses inside London hospitals. It indicates that the issue was a particular problem in mental health units.

The figures document attacks in National Health Service (NHS) wards, private clinics and other health centers. Prosecutors, however, say up to 90% of sexual abuses remain unreported, suggesting that the true figure could be much higher than reported.

“A zero-tolerance approach to sexual abuse must be pursued in the NHS. All victims should feel safe to come forward and every incident properly dealt with by the police, courts and health service, to ensure every perpetrator is brought to justice,” Luciana Berger, shadow minister for public health, said.
“Ministers must order an immediate review of security, with a focus on mental health units,” the official added.

According to the paper, this is the first time the scale of the problem has been reported although individual cases of abuse in hospitals have been well documented.