Women who suffered abuse at the hands of NHS staff

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TRivka Grant sat in her hospital room, curled up in fear and crying, grappling with the fact that she had just been sexually assaulted by a male medical assistant.

That experience in a mental health hospital that was supposed to keep her safe shook her to her core and left her with a lifelong fear and mistrust of mental health services.

Rybka, now 34, can describe in harrowing detail how she was abused at the hands of NHS worker Krishna Jaganaklu while she was at Chase Farm Hospital in north London.

She suffered from severe depression and anxiety and was admitted to a women's mental health unit in January 2016.

Recalling her first impression, she said: independent person: “The ward was very chaotic. There didn't seem to be any staff around. I was left alone and not really tested. It was quite a scary atmosphere.

“There was one staff member I met on the third night. He seemed like a really nice and supportive person, and he was actually the only one who took an interest in how I was doing.”

She claimed that the male staff member, Jaganai Crew, was allowed to be alone with Rivka for long periods of time in her room.

“I didn't realize at the time that it was bad for him to be in my room at night when I was alone with the door closed.”

One night, he sexually assaulted Rybka in her room. After she left, Rybka remembers sitting crying and trying to tell the staff what had happened.

“I said, 'I have something to tell you.' And she told me, 'Go to sleep.' I'm crying and obviously need to explain something. But instead, I got shut down. ”

The next morning, Rybka claimed she tried to tell others working in the unit about it. However, he was reportedly told he would have to wait until the next day as there was no permanent staff available.

“I'd rather commit suicide than stay in the ward.”

Her ordeal worsened when she was told she had to return to the room where she was allegedly assaulted because there were no other beds available.

“So I stayed in that room for another night, and I just remember sitting there in a daze. I didn't know what was going to happen,” Rybka said.

Two days later, she was transferred to Edgware Hospital and placed in a mixed-sex ward, which is said to have been outlawed more than a decade ago. Despite the government banning mixed wards in 2012, mixed wards are still used in mental health care.

Rybka found herself on a ward with male patients “everywhere.”

“The fear was indescribable. I just sat there thinking, 'What is going to happen?'” There was no escape. There was always a fear that something would happen. ”

Rybka confided in a friend who called the hospital and filed a complaint. They informed the police and Mr. Jaganaikuru was suspended. He was found guilty of one count of sexual assault in June 2017 and sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

Mr Rybka also settled a negligence claim with Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust (now called North London Mental Health Partnership) in May 2019. The trust said it “deeply regrets” what happened to Mr Rybka.

The trust said it has since strengthened its safeguarding processes, including requiring all patients to be accompanied by a same-sex member of staff during one-to-one observations. The trust still has six unisex wards out of a total of 17, but he claims there are separate areas for men and women within these wards.

Rybka spoke about the toll on her mental health:

“When you're in a hospital, you believe you should be safe. At that point, you would never think that you would be in danger. That there is no safety in a hospital or psychiatric hospital. I learned.”

Rybka's traumatic story is one of several that came to light during the joint investigation. independent person Sky News found thousands of similar complaints had been made in NHS-run mental health units in just five years.

The 18-month investigation was sparked by the extraordinary story of Alexis Quinn, a former British swimmer who managed to escape from a psychiatric hospital after allegedly being sexually assaulted twice. Her story is only available on the podcast. patient 11.

Alexis said she was admitted to an all-male mental health unit in December 2013 because there were no beds for women. Within hours, she claimed, she was sexually assaulted by a male patient.

She claims her ordeal continued for several months after she was admitted to a ward with a mixed-sex common area and was assaulted again. These horrifying experiences triggered a dramatic four-year battle in which she was forced to flee the unit where she was held in section and ultimately flee the country.

However, as independent person And as Sky News has revealed, there were many more women like Alexis and Rybka.

In 2015, a desperate Stephanie Tutti kicked open the fire door of her hospital ward and ran for the exit from Essex Mental Health Unit, where she had been confined for five months.

At age 19, she had sought refuge in a hospital to treat the trauma of being raped the previous year. Instead, she says, she became the victim of horrific sexual abuse from a “predator” staff member in a position of trust.

The mother-of-two, who is currently studying for a degree in criminology, is telling her story for the first time, recalling what happened after she joined Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust in 2015. are sharing.

“what happened [the abuser] It has a much more lasting effect on me than the initial rape that made me sick in the first place. he's a predator I have no other words for him,” she said. independent person.

Stephanie was raped in 2014 and became ill. She was amputated and hospitalized after she attempted to take her own life.

After being hospitalized, she claims her abuser started grooming her.

She alleges that he tried to tempt her by bringing in prohibited items, including energy drinks and alcohol. “He told me he was the only one. [staff] The members believed in me…so I turned to him,” Stephanie said.

Gradually, she claims, his behavior escalated to making sexual jokes and “grabbing her butt.” More physical contact followed, culminating in months of horrific sexual abuse that left Stephanie intimately traumatized, she alleges.

“I was doing it [sexual acts] “Because I really felt that he cared about me and there were strong emotions involved,” she said. “But I was feeling really bad. I just felt uncomfortable with everything. I couldn't do anything about it. I remember crying, but I said, 'No.' I have no recollection of that. It took me a long time to recover, and I'm still not fully recovered. ”

These assaults were possible because staff were allowed to be alone in Stephanie's room, she said. Independent.

Desperate to get away from him, Stephanie attempts to escape from the unit, succeeding once, but is brought back by the police.

Eventually, her mental state deteriorated so much that she was transferred to another ward for acutely unwell patients. That was the first time, she says, that her abuse stopped.

Several months later, after being discharged from the hospital, she encountered the man outside the hospital, which led her to report the incident.

Police investigated Stephanie's claims for two years. However, she then received a shocking letter stating that there was “insufficient evidence” for her to submit a file to the Crown Prosecution Service. The letter continued: “This does not mean you are not believed. But for a prosecution to occur, there must be sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of prosecution.”

A mother who took time off from work to support her daughter said: independent person: “The effect it had on my Steph… oh my god, it ruined her life, completely ruined her life. What they have is, [the hospital] If I have contributed to my family, my life, my daughter's life and my partner's life, not just to them but to mental health services in general, then I can write my autobiography. Five years of hell we went through. ”

Stephanie filed a complaint with the hospital in December 2017 about the alleged abuse. independent person. Although she acknowledged her complaint, her trust did not confirm whether it would investigate.

Essex Partnership Universities Foundation Trust, which is undergoing a public inquiry, declined to comment specifically on Stephanie's allegations, but said: “Reports such as these are immediately passed on to our safeguarding team, are fully investigated and action is taken. It will be taken,” he said.

A spokesperson for Essex Police said: “Following an allegation of sexual assault, we carried out a thorough investigation. The investigation found there was insufficient evidence to support the charges. However, the incident was resolved. “We never did, and like any other case, the case will be reviewed if new information comes to light.”

An NHS spokesperson said:: “Sexual assault is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the NHS. As part of the NHS's new Sexual Safety Charter, we are committed to ensuring patient and staff safety, including rolling out better reporting mechanisms, training and support. We are taking steps to ensure this.”

“NHS England is recommending that all trusts and local health systems appoint a domestic and sexual violence officer to enable patients and staff to report incidents and access support, and there are currently 300 These are the people who are in charge.”