A 71-year-old terminally ill woman was raped in a toilet at a London hospital where she was receiving cancer treatment, British police said today.
The attack occurred early on May 1st while the woman was a patient at King's College Hospital in south London.
|
"The victim went to the toilet and while she was in the cubicle, she was pushed to the floor and raped," a Scotland Yard spokesman said.
The woman, a married grandmother from southeast England, waited several weeks before reporting the attack, police said.
"This was a most serious offence on a vulnerable pensioner and all our efforts are directed to catching this man before he strikes again," said Detective Inspector Martin Ward, who is leading the investigation.
A hospital spokeswoman was quoted as saying the attack occurred in a secure ward as all of the wards require keys or a special door code for entry.
A large number of CCTV cameras are also positioned throughout the hospital, she said.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 today, Health Secretary MR Alan Milburn condemned the attack as an "appalling and almost indescribable event".
PA