15 June 2023

Call for more witnesses to help David Fuller mortuary abuse inquiry

15 June 2023

Fresh witnesses are being urged to come forward to help the inquiry investigating the systematic sexual abuse of bodies by former hospital worker David Fuller.

The necrophiliac murderer worked in maintenance at Kent and Sussex Hospital and the Tunbridge Wells Hospital, in Pembury, from 1989, and sexually abused the bodies of 101 women and girls in the hospital mortuaries between 2005 to 2020.

The independent probe, which is investigating how Fuller was able to carry out his crimes undetected, is now looking at new information about allegations of inappropriate behaviour in the 1990s.

We would particularly like to speak to people whose job brought them into contact with the mortuary and body stores at the hospitals, to better understand about workplace conditions and practices at the hospitals during the mid to late 1990s

Sir Jonathan Michael, chairman of the inquiry, said: “To support our ongoing investigations, today I am calling on people to come forward so we can identify staff who worked at the Kent and Sussex Hospital or the old Pembury Hospital from the mid-1990s onwards who may have information that will help us.

“We would particularly like to speak to people whose job brought them into contact with the mortuary and body stores at the hospitals, to better understand about workplace conditions and practices at the hospitals during the mid to late 1990s.”

Enquiries by Kent Police ahead of the inquiry’s new focus found that no further criminal offences took place in this time period and no new evidence of further victims has been found.

Sir Jonathan vowed to leave “no stone unturned” in the investigation, adding: “We need to investigate this new information to better understand how effectively mortuary services were run back then.”

In 2021, Fuller, 68, pleaded guilty to murdering Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, in Tunbridge Wells, Kent in 1987, and 44 charges relating to 78 females.

After receiving a whole life sentence, Fuller was further sentenced to four more years in prison in 2022, after pleading guilty to sexually abusing the bodies of 23 more women.

People with information can contact the inquiry via email, [email protected], or telephone 0207 972 1444.

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