An Abuse Alert System For Hospitals
This system, which is reported on today is to be welcomed.
But why is it just to flag up child abuse?
I remember a notorious case in North Essex in the 1980s, where the wife was always being beaten up by her husband. He used to take her to different A & E units, to minimise the chance of the truth being discovered.
In the end, she was found murdered.
The Anonymous Widower 
I think it should include all vulnerable people – adults with disability or dementia, for example. I guess the issue with domestic abuse is that the hospitals themselves can’t do anything without the support of the person being abused, and if they say it isn’t happening, or was a one off, or simply refuse to talk to police but instead choose to go back into the abusive relationship, there is not a great deal can be done. We had a situation in our extended family when we knew that my late aunt was being at best neglected, and almost certainly robbed by her grandson – he lived with her. Neil and I tried very hard to get her to speak the doctor, the social worker etc, but she refused, she said he was looking after her really well. When she became too ill/weak to get downstairs she wouldnt have the doctor visit, and the grandson didnt answer the door when we called the doctor out. After a severe warning from me of the consequences of not letting doc in, the next day he opened the door and spoke to the doctor but wouldnt let him in, doctor called police, her grandson had the old lady shout through the bedroom window that she was fine, just a bit tired, and her grandson was doing a splendid job of looking after her! A couple of days later the doctor did get in, cant remember how – we lived a distance away and couldnt get over for some reason, and he got her admitted to hospital and then into a care home. But from us recognising there was problem to getting her out of there to a place of safety took nearly 2 years.
Comment by Liz P | December 27, 2012 |
The scale of the domestic abuse, in the case I outlined, came out at the inquest. But the husband was far to slippery to admit anything.
Comment by AnonW | December 27, 2012 |