26 Oct 2012

Six jailed for care home abuse

Six staff at Winterbourne View care home are jailed for the “cruel and degrading” abuse of disabled patients, which was exposed by an undercover reporter.

The judge at Bristol crown court also handed down suspended sentences to five other staff members at the care home in Hambrook, south Gloucestershire.

Judge Neil Ford told them their behaviour caused “widespread feelings of revulsion”.

He said: “Your victims were particularly vulnerable and have been significantly affected by your acts of abuse in the context of a regime of continuing abuse and on occasions you offended as part of a group.”

The 11 defendants – nine support workers and two nurses – admitted 38 charges of neglect or ill-treatment of five people with severe learning difficulties.

Your victims were particularly vulnerable and have been significantly affected by your acts of abuse in the context of a regime of continuing abuse and on occasions you offended as part of a group. -Judge Neil Ford

They were filmed hitting vulnerable residents, dousing them in water, pulling their hair and taunting and swearing at them.

The abuse was captured in a BBC Panorama investigation after whistleblower and former nurse, Terry Bryan, alerted reporters when his warnings were ignored by the hospital’s owner and care watchdogs.

Wider questions

The families of those abused welcomed the sentences but said wider questions about institutional cruelty needed to be answered.

James Welch, legal director for Liberty, which is representing some of the victims’ families, said watchdogs should have acted.

Read more: Q and A - who regulates care homes?

“Not only does the management of the hospital bear responsibility for what happened but there is evidence that attempts by whistleblowers to alert the authorities were ignored.

Abuse at the care home was exposed by secret filming

“The human rights act makes clear that public bodies have a responsibility to investigate such allegations of abuse – and Liberty will use the act to get the answers that the families’ deserve.”

‘Extensive changes’

Castlebeck Ltd said there had been “extensive changes in board and management” and new measures introduced to ensure there could not be a repeat.

Care Minister Norman Lamb pledged to publish the government’s report into the scandal “very soon”.

He added: “This terrible case has shone a light on major flaws in the system which we will address. All the organisations involved have looked hard at their role to learn lessons and improvements have already been made, but we must remain vigilant and continue to guard against abuse.

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