There is a memory of an incident that I have not written about before, although I have spoken about the matter privately. It was an incident that for me today, looking back upon it. Serves as a positive example of our human integrity and perhaps my own professionalism; in the face of something quite disturbing.
It was February 2017 and I had finished a shift on the ward, it was past 7.30pm. I was walking along the corridor towards the main hospital entrance. I was tired and I wanted to go home. I very much wanted to go home.
In the distance I saw couple, who were as best as I can describe it; rather playful. A little frisky shall we say. I saw a tallish man and a young woman, shorter than he, generally fooling around. The woman was being held close. The man had an arm about her and reaching down over her shoulder with his right hand, he was clearly fondling her breasts. This is perfectly normal behaviour for any couple but perhaps not in a hospital corridor. I thought it was a bit much, to be in rather bad taste. We all enjoy such behaviour but the thought, 'get a room' was in mind.
When they had come closer, bearing in mind that I was walking towards them and they were approaching me, I had something of a shock. I stood rooted to the spot. I must have been staring, as the man had now removed his hand from her breasts. This was not a young courting couple as I had thought. I now estimated that the man, a well built fellow, to be in his late sixties or possibly his early seventies. I will never as long as I live, ever forget that red, pockmarked face.
My shock was that his companion was not a woman at all but a young girl, who I estimated at the time to be about fourteen. She was giggling, rather well developed for her age but she had a 'look' about her. In my judgement this suggested a learning disability. There was no doubt in my mind that this was a vulnerable child and that I had just witnessed a sexual assault. I was nauseated. I was disgusted.
I turned in the corridor to watch them pass me by and found myself staring in to the eyes of a tall female Healthcare Assistant, who was white with shock. I asked her because I was beginning to doubt myself now, the shock was palpable; 'Did you see what I did see?' Her reply was, 'I am so glad that you asked me that.' We were in complete agreement. We had both witnessed an assault but were surprised at how in a crowded corridor, no one else had noticed. The question was, what do we do now? I wanted to go home, I was tired. I was going to miss my bus. We both knew that we could not ignore what we had seen, we had to act.
We walked to the reception desk to ask the concierge if she had seen the couple. The answer was negative, so the two of us tried to follow them. We lost them in the corridors. They had gone up at least one floor but we had no way of knowing where they were heading. We asked at the nearest ward to the first stairwell we had climbed but no couple of that description, had entered the unit. We had definitely lost them.
We returned to the reception
desk and called the security office. There was little they could do at that
moment other than take our details and a brief statement over the phone. I was
assured that they would be contacting the Police and that CCTV footage would be
reviewed. I was later to learn that only my details were recorded and not those
of the Healthcare Assistant with me. This was rectified when the police became
involved but it is a procedural error that I hope has since been corrected.
Within a few days I had a telephone call from the Child Protection Division of the County Police Force, this was a serious matter. A few days later a plain clothes officer, was sitting in my living room ready to take my statement.
I went through everything I could remember. I had a map of the hospital and in highlighter ink, I drew my route and the route of the couple, marking with numbers the significant points. Where the couple were when I first spotted them, where we passed and where we lost them. It was an in depth statement and I was informed that due to the serious nature of the incident, prosecution was certain. I was informed that CCTV footage had been retrieved and was now in the hands of the Police. The couple had been identified.
Later details that did not appear in the newspapers came to my attention. The man was seventy five years old. The girl was not fourteen but twelve. She was or is vulnerable, she does have a learning disability. The most shocking revelation however, was that the girl was his granddaughter.
Over the next few months preparation began for a court appearance and I had regular updates from the Crown Prosecution Service. In preparation for my 'day in court' I even bought a new suit. I also began to have something of an emotional crisis. The responsibility of my actions began to feel like a weight. I was about to put a man behind bars and to ruin his life. My friends were quite forceful, pointing out correctly that he was responsible for his actions. I was protecting his granddaughter, her school friends and goodness knows who else, from a predatory paedophile. I was doing the right thing and although I never really doubted it, it was good to hear. To have it confirmed.
I also found myself perplexed by his behaviour and this almost made me ill. I found myself asking why? How could anyone and least of all a grandfather, do such a thing? I have seen my nieces at bath time almost up to their teenage years, ten years old anyway. The idea of touching 'my girls' in any inappropriate manner could never occur to me. Such behaviour is beyond my comprehension. I expressed these thoughts to a friend who is a school nurse. Her words were comforting; 'it wouldn't occur to you because you don't think like that, you are normal.' Never before have I been so happy to be called normal.
Just weeks before the trial began, the defendant changed his plea from not guilty to guilty. He was sentenced without the need for a full trial but appeared behind closed doors. We can be fairly certain that he did this on the advice of his legal team. He would have been advised that he would be found at fault and that by pleading not guilty, his sentence would be the greater. As it was he was sentenced to fifteen months in prison and placed on the sex offenders register for ten years post his eventual release. In my opinion the sentence should have been longer but I am not a judge, I am a nurse.
Looking back at the
experience some three years later, I have a sense of satisfaction but not one
of pride; that I put this man behind bars. He deserved everything he got. There
is little sympathy. I and the other witness acted for the good of society, to
protect the victim and potentially her school friends. That surely must count
for something. I was once asked if I would do the same again? The answer is
yes, absolutely. I am a registered health professional and I have a duty of
care but it goes much further than that. We all as members of society, have the
same duty of care. You reading this, have that same duty of care.
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