Rape and sexual assault in UK mental health

More than 26,000 sexual abuse incidents over 5 years found in UK mental health facilities

A 2023 article by Anna Bawden and David Batty in The Guardian once again exposes the appalling situation of sexual assault and rape occurring in mental health facilities. Article: ‘NHS England mental health trusts record 26,000 sexual abuse incidents’ ¹

Examination of data obtained through freedom of information requests over a five-year period found sexual assault in mental health facilities made up two-thirds of the reports

‘Data released following freedom of information requests to NHS trusts in England showed that 35,606 “sexual safety incidents” were recorded in hospitals between 2017 and 2022. The term covers a spectrum of behaviours, from abusive remarks to rape, allegedly perpetrated by staff, patients or visitors.’

‘Three-quarters of the reports – 26,434 – were made in mental health trusts, and nearly 2,500 of the alleged incidents of sexual violence and misconduct were by staff on patients.’

A Bawden. D Batty. NHS England mental health trusts record 26,000 sexual abuse incidents. The Guardian. ²

Withholding information and under-reporting rampant

What makes this all the more disturbing is that the information had to be obtained through freedom of information requests and as reported in The Guardian and British Medical Journal, the figures provided are known to be considerably under-reported by various institutions involved and in some cases the institutions kept no records of sexual assault by staff on patients. ^{3 4}

Where is psychiatry in all of this?

That mental health facilities in the UK are places where even the staff cannot work safely for fear of sexual assault is appalling and yet this has been going on for decades without any real handling.

The 2,500 alleged incidents of sexual violence and misconduct BY STAFF AGAINST PATIENTS are under-reported and are also a situation that has been occurring for decades.

Such assaults are extremely damaging to patients and the exact reverse of what is needed to assist people in alleviating any mental illness.

Psychiatrists are the ones who should be caring for the welfare of their patients and are certainly the ones who would be aware of sexual assault of their patients (and I they do not then why don’t they?).

So why is psychiatry not bringing this horrendous situation to light and taking action to stamp this out?

Perhaps the answer lies with studies in the United States, Canada, and Australia that found that psychiatrists are the worst offenders in terms of sexual misconduct with their patients of all mental health workers or physicians. ^{5 6 7}

Surprisingly or perhaps not, no results could be found for specifics on the frequency of UK psychiatrists sexually assaulting their patients. However, let’s take the example of William Kerr who worked as a psychiatrist in the UK from 1965 to his retirement in 1988. Sixty-seven of Kerr’s patients were found to have been subjected to ‘sexualized behavior’ including 38 who had made disclosures regarding his behaviors and who were ignored and not one investigated. ⁸

Further references:

Rape and sexual assault by psychiatrists

“In every house where I come, I will enter only for the good of my patients, keeping myself far from all intentional ill-doing and all seduction, and especially from the pleasures of love with women and men.” Excerpt – Hippocratic Oath …

1. A Bawden. D Batty. NHS England mental health trusts record 26,000 sexual abuse incidents. The Guardian. 24 May 2023.
2. A Bawden. D Batty. NHS England mental health trusts record 26,000 sexual abuse incidents. The Guardian. 24 May 2023.
3. Bawden. Batty. England hospitals under-reporting sexual misconduct, say experts. The Guardian. 23 May 2023
4. I Torjesen. A Waters. Medical colleges and unions call for inquiry over “shocking” levels of sexual assault in the NHS. BMJ 2023.
5. Marie M Bismark, David M Studdert, Katinka Morton, Ron Paterson, Matthew J Spittal and Yamna Taouk. Sexual misconduct by health professionals in Australia, 2011–2016: a retrospective analysis of notifications to health regulators Med J Aust. 2020.
6. Brooks E, Gendel MH, Early SR, Gundersen DC, Shore JH. Physician boundary violations in a physician’s health program: a 19-year review. J Am Acad Psychiatry Law. 2012
7. Alam A, Kurdyak P, Klemensberg J, Griesman J, Bell CM. The characteristics of psychiatrists disciplined by professional colleges in Canada. PLoS One. 2012
8. Dyer C. Blind eye to complaints allowed psychiatrists to abuse patients. BMJ. 2005