Additional Victims Identified in NHS Child Abuse Investigation

Authorities probing past allegations of child abuse at two former NHS mental health facilities in West Sussex have confirmed they have interviewed twelve purported victims, with expectations that this number will grow.

One former patient, who was just nine years old at the time, recounted experiencing multiple sexual assaults by a staff member at Larchwood and Colwood, situated in Haywards Heath.

Using a pseudonym, Christopher recounted that the initial incident occurred in the late 1970s, when a staff member enticed him outside to gather flowers for his mother.

“That was the daffodil day – it’s always stuck with me,” Christopher recalled, sharing his traumatic memories of being attacked in the woods.

Sussex Police revealed that their investigation is focused on claims made by former residents of the two facilities during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, both of which were shut down by the early 2000s.

Larchwood catered to younger children, while Colwood accommodated adolescents, providing them with in-patient therapeutic care and educational support.

Located on the same grounds as the old St Francis Hospital and the present-day Princess Royal Hospital, the facilities offered refuge for vulnerable youth facing mental health challenges.

Christopher was admitted to Larchwood by his parents in the late 1970s after he exhibited troubling behavior at home, ceased attending school, and attempted to take his own life.

In a personal account, he detailed the alleged repeated rapes and assaults by a male staff member.

“[The staff member] said to me ‘your mum’s coming tonight, do you want to get some daffodils? I know where you can get the biggest best daffodils and you can surprise your mum with them.'”

He agreed to the excursion, excited to pick flowers for his mother. However, the situation took a dark turn when he was taken to the woods.

At the foot of a mound, Christopher was reportedly assaulted. “And then I was crying, saying please stop, please stop, you’re hurting me – really so painful, nothing I’ve experienced like that. Just fear,” he recounted.

He left the flowers behind, the ones he had intended to gift to his mother, marking that day forever in his memory.

Christopher also alleged that he endured further sexual assaults by the same staff member.

“He just knew the system,” Christopher stated. “He was confident he wasn’t going to get asked, knew he wasn’t going to get caught.”

Other individuals who claim to have been patients at Larchwood or Colwood during the same time period have also come forward with similar allegations of sexual abuse by staff members.

Linda, another former employee at Colwood in the late 1990s, described an environment rife with neglect, inadequate care, and physical mistreatment.

“There was a really poorly girl who was really psychotic who was just standing outside in a really bad way waiting for me to get there to help her,” she said. “We kept saying this isn’t ok, but nothing ever changed.”

Linda recounted an alarming incident in which a staff member allegedly mistreated a young patient.

“He just picked her up. He was strong and she was just very frail, underweight – he just picked her up and threw her a good two metres across the room.”

Sussex Police have identified several potential suspects, all of whom are not believed to currently occupy positions of trust or pose a risk to the public.

The police have interviewed two men in their 60s and 70s, although no arrests have been made at this time.

Detective Inspector Cheryl Lewendon announced that twelve victims have been interviewed, but indicated that further individuals may still need to be identified.

“There are a lot of people we’re still trying to identify,” she expressed. “We want to speak to as many individuals who were present during those times that would have some information that would help us try and identify those suspects in terms of allegations that have been made.”

She emphasized that the passage of time should not hinder justice for the victims.

Addressing past criticisms regarding the handling of abuse allegations at Larchwood and Colwood during the 1990s and 2000s, Detective Inspector Lewendon acknowledged the shortcomings of previous investigations.

“We didn’t do the right thing back then, allegations were made and investigated in silo. We’ve come a long way since then – we recognise the importance of looking at things in a much wider context.”

Both Larchwood and Colwood were managed by NHS organizations that preceded the existing NHS Trust.

A representative from Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, now overseeing child and adolescent mental health services in the region, stated their commitment to supporting the police investigation into the allegations of sexual abuse and neglect.

“We acknowledge how difficult it must be for people to come forward to share their experiences of abuse and our thoughts are with them,” the spokesperson said.

They encouraged anyone who has faced any form of abuse, regardless of when it occurred, to reach out to Sussex Police.

Currently, the Trust is unable to provide additional comments while the investigation continues.

In June, Sussex Police made a public appeal seeking information related to the case.

Christopher and other alleged victims have called for an official apology from the NHS.