Police investigating ‘rape of child’ at scandal-hit mental health hospital

Thames Valley force confirms report made last month over incident Huntercombe Group hospital

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Police are investigating allegations of rape of a child involving two staff members at a scandal-hit mental health hospital, The Independent can reveal.

Thames Valley Police confirmed it has launched an investigation after a report last month of rape made by a former patient of Taplow Manor, a private hospital in Maidenhead, Berkshire, run by The Huntercombe Group.

The incident was reported to have taken place in 2019. Mark McGhee, a solicitor for Hutcheon Law, who is representing the family of the patient in a clinical negligence claim, said the allegation had been raised to the police about the patient who was a child and that the allegation involves two staff members at the time.

In October, The Independent and Sky News revealed allegations of “systemic abuse” from 20 patients across The Huntercombe Group’s children’s mental health hospitals – Taplow Manor, Ivetsey Bank near Stafford, Watcombe Hall in Torquay, and The Huntercombe Hospital Norwich.

Since the report, 30 more patients have come forward with allegations of poor treatment and the provider now also faces nine legal claims from former patients.

Thames Valley Police are also investigating an incident involving the death of a child at the Maidenhead hospital in February. The CQC is conducting a separate criminal investigation into the serious incident which resulted in the death of the young person.

The Care Quality Commission will begin a review of the leadership of Active Care Group, which owns The Huntercombe Group, in March next year.

Read our full investigation: Mental health patients who reported ‘abuse’ ignored by NHS and regulator

In 2017, The Huntercombe Group closed Watcombe Hall after the CQC placed the unit in special measures. In 2020 a healthcare professional, Marcus Daniell, was jailed for the sexual abuse of three young female patients at Watcombe Hall.

Active Care Group, which took over the company in December 2021, said: “We are very sad and concerned to hear about these patient experiences and allegations of poor care, a handful of which relate to time in our care. All our professionals are trained, registered, and regulated by their professional bodies; our policies and clinical interventions are in line with national guidelines and best practice; the care of our patients is our top priority.”

Have you been affected by these issues? Contact rebecca.thomas@independent.co.uk

A spokesperson for Elli Investments Group, which owned The Huntercombe Group until March 2021, said: “We are saddened by these allegations and regret that these hospitals and specialist care services, which were owned and independently managed by The Huntercombe Group, failed to meet the expected standards for high quality care.”