Hospital sex attacks shame as fewer than half of all cases lead to a criminal charge

Fewer than half of all sex attacks in Scottish hospitals resulted in anyone being charged with a criminal offence, The Sunday Post can reveal.

Figures obtained last week from Police Scotland and health boards show there were 265 sexual assaults and rapes reported in hospital between 2019 and 2024, with more than half – 168 – of those attacks taking place on wards. Eleven of the overall number, involving both patients and staff, were rapes.

But only 120 attacks resulted in someone being charged with an offence.

Now victims of hospital sex attacks have accused the Scottish Government of a “dereliction of duty” to keep patients safe. They are demanding a public inquiry into the increasing number of incidents.

Sex attacks in Scotland’s hospitals

Mary Howden, lead researcher of campaign group Women’s Rights Network (WRN) Scotland, said: “The level of sexual assaults and rapes happening in hospitals across the country is a shameful indictment of our government’s failure to deliver the very basic safety levels everyone should expect when they attend hospital.

“We need to see single-sex wards being provided in every hospital, and an immediate plan of action by the government.”

WRN Scotland’s figures show our biggest health board, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, had 70 sexual assaults and rapes. Lothian & Borders had 41 sexual assaults, with 34 attacks at NHS Fife.

There were 26 sexual assaults at NHS Lanarkshire, with 10 happening on the wards.

NHS Highland had 24 reported cases, 20 of which happened on a ward, but just six were pursued as a crime.

NHS Tayside had 22 attacks, 11 on hospital wards, with nine cases pursued as crimes. NHS Grampian had 22 attacks, 10 of which happened on a ward. Just six incidents were pursued as a crime.

Last week, a court case revealed that Dundee stalker Steven Saunders, 60, repeatedly assaulted patients at two NHS Tayside psychiatric hospitals, Perth Royal and Carseview.

The court heard that after sexually assaulting a woman at Perth Royal in October 2022, Saunders was moved to Carseview in Dundee where he continued to prey on other vulnerable patients.

Saunders exposed himself to a female patient the day after he was taken to Carseview, placing her hands on his genitals. The next day he exposed himself again to the same patient and grabbed her genital area.

Sheriff Paul Brown placed Saunders under supervision and on the sex offenders register for three years and said: “I think the real issue here is to make sure Mr Saunders has mental health treatment.”

Saunders, who has been ordered by the court to engage with treatment, had a previous history of stalking a council employee who had befriended him.

The case is just another example of what is happening in hospital wards across the country.

‘Vulnerable patients are being subjected to unacceptable risk’

Earlier this month we told how one Fife woman woke up with bruise marks over her body following her report of a sexual assault by a patient in a psychiatric ward where she was being treated for long-term trauma caused by child abuse.

Reacting to the latest figures, she said: “The number of vulnerable patients suffering sexual assaults and rapes is a national disgrace. They are proof of the government’s dereliction of duty to keep us safe.

“The only way forward is for a public inquiry into why this can possibly happen in the one place where a vulnerable patient should be safe. Before this nightmare escalates further, before someone is killed, the health secretary has a duty of care to get answers to how and why this is happening in our hospitals.”

Margaret Reid’s sister was repeatedly subjected to another patient exposing himself while being treated at Carseview psychiatric unit, where she was sent after suffering postpartum depression following the birth of her second baby.

Margaret said: “What we are seeing here is our most vulnerable patients being subjected to unacceptable risk. It should not be tolerated for a moment longer.

“Health boards have a duty of care towards patients. Nobody should be going into hospital for treatment worrying about whether they will be subjected to attack or unacceptable behaviour.

“I still weep when I recall the conditions my sister was exposed to at Carseview, where she was left heavily medicated, separated from her baby because her daughter was over a year old, and placed beside violent patients and drug addicts. No wonder she was terrified.

“I witnessed a patient exposing himself while I was visiting Carseview. We cannot allow this to continue.”

Only one unit is currently available for women suffering from postpartum depression, at St John’s, Livingston. But after a baby reaches a year, mothers are no longer eligible for treatment there.

Instead, they are admitted to generic psychiatric hospitals, something Margaret and her family are petitioning the Scottish Government to change.

She said: “My sister went from receiving exceptional care at St John’s mother and baby unit to being traumatised and terrified at Carseview. Not only was she separated from her baby, but she was also extremely scared. After witnessing what was happening at Carseview while I visited her, no wonder she was terrified. This cannot continue. We need action and change now.”

Scottish Conservative Shadow Equalities Minister Tess White said: “The number of rapes and sexual assaults occurring in NHS hospitals is utterly abhorrent. It is clear women are not being properly protected and it is even more shocking that fewer than half of these incidents have been pursued as crimes.

“SNP ministers should start by backing our calls to ensure the provision of single-sex spaces in Scottish hospitals wherever possible.”

Health Secretary Neil Gray said: “The safety of patients and staff is an absolute priority and sexual offending against them is completely unacceptable. Everyone has the right to access healthcare, or their place of work, without fear of experiencing such behaviour and NHS boards have a responsibility to ensure patient and staff safety.

“NHS boards have reporting systems to capture data on violence and aggression – including sexual assault. I strongly encourage staff to report any and all instances of violent and aggressive behaviour. The courts have extensive powers to deal robustly with sexual offending. All instances of such behaviour should be reported and escalated to Police Scotland as quickly as possible for consideration of necessary action.”