The National Health Service in the UK is under fire after a female patient who identifies as transgender was place in an male psych ward and raped within an hour of her arrival. As soon as she arrived on the ward, the male patients began chanting "No Adam's apple."
The attack took place in April 2022 at Lambeth Hospital, where an unnamed patient, a biological female who identifies as male, was transferred into a male psychiatric unit. Within an hour of arriving, she was sexually assaulted in the facility.
Court proceedings revealed that the patient was pushed into a cupboard and raped by 27-year-old Davointe Thomas after being targeted inside the ward, reports Spiked. Last month, Thomas was convicted at London Crown Court of rape and given an indefinite hospital order.
According to accounts from inside the ward, the patient was subjected to verbal harassment by other patients upon arrival. Reports state that individuals chanted “No Adam’s apple” as she entered the unit, and she later attempted to move into a side room after being asked intrusive questions about her sex. It was in there that Thomas allegedly followed her and carried out the attack.
The South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed the placement decision, stating it was in line with NHS England policy at the time regarding gender identity and ward allocation.
Questions have since been raised about how the situation was handled after the assault. A source told The Times that the trust went “into self-preservation mode” following the incident and attempted to limit the flow of information to investigators.
The same source alleged the trust ignored multiple police information requests and circulated an internal message stating "don’t give them any more." It was only after a judge issued a summons that full internal reports were handed over to investigators.
During the investigation, another patient, Luther Badejo, was charged in connection with the assault but later cleared after additional records were disclosed. He told reporters: “This has been hanging over me for three years”, adding, “It’s been killing me and my family. It should never have got this far. I just don’t understand why it did.”
The victim also provided an impact statement to the court but was unable to complete it. “He’s ruined my life and taken away who I was”, she said. “Before this I was never afraid… I can’t continue with the statement, there are too many tears.”
The South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust said its decision to place the patient in a male ward followed NHS England guidance in effect at the time.
The case has intensified scrutiny of hospital placement policies for transgender-identifying patients within psychiatric care settings, particularly in mixed-risk environments where vulnerable individuals are treated alongside patients with severe mental health conditions.
The attack took place in April 2022 at Lambeth Hospital, where an unnamed patient, a biological female who identifies as male, was transferred into a male psychiatric unit. Within an hour of arriving, she was sexually assaulted in the facility.
Court proceedings revealed that the patient was pushed into a cupboard and raped by 27-year-old Davointe Thomas after being targeted inside the ward, reports Spiked. Last month, Thomas was convicted at London Crown Court of rape and given an indefinite hospital order.
According to accounts from inside the ward, the patient was subjected to verbal harassment by other patients upon arrival. Reports state that individuals chanted “No Adam’s apple” as she entered the unit, and she later attempted to move into a side room after being asked intrusive questions about her sex. It was in there that Thomas allegedly followed her and carried out the attack.
The South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed the placement decision, stating it was in line with NHS England policy at the time regarding gender identity and ward allocation.
Questions have since been raised about how the situation was handled after the assault. A source told The Times that the trust went “into self-preservation mode” following the incident and attempted to limit the flow of information to investigators.
The same source alleged the trust ignored multiple police information requests and circulated an internal message stating "don’t give them any more." It was only after a judge issued a summons that full internal reports were handed over to investigators.
During the investigation, another patient, Luther Badejo, was charged in connection with the assault but later cleared after additional records were disclosed. He told reporters: “This has been hanging over me for three years”, adding, “It’s been killing me and my family. It should never have got this far. I just don’t understand why it did.”
The victim also provided an impact statement to the court but was unable to complete it. “He’s ruined my life and taken away who I was”, she said. “Before this I was never afraid… I can’t continue with the statement, there are too many tears.”
The South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust said its decision to place the patient in a male ward followed NHS England guidance in effect at the time.
The case has intensified scrutiny of hospital placement policies for transgender-identifying patients within psychiatric care settings, particularly in mixed-risk environments where vulnerable individuals are treated alongside patients with severe mental health conditions.
