Belfast Trust says sorry for ‘superhero safety briefings’ at Muckamore

A lawyer performing for households of sufferers mentioned she supposed to jot down to health officers to hunt readability over the picture, which was posted on the private Twitter account of a senior Belfast Trust worker.

The picture was described within the submit as a “Muckamore superhero safety brief” and was hailed as a “fantastic idea to promote safety and boost staff morale and reduce sickness”.

The police are presently reviewing round 300,000 hours of CCTV footage from the interval throughout which the briefings had been happening.

There is not any suggestion that any of the individuals within the picture had been concerned in abusing any sufferers or every other wrongdoing at the hospital.

Glynn Brown, whose son Aaron is a former resident at the hospital, mentioned he had been horrified by the picture.

“It seems to me that the picture was put out as some kind of PR exercise,” he added.

“The entire concept looks like they had been making an attempt to advertise Muckamore as a terrific place.

“It seems to be like they’re having enjoyable. It’s very light-hearted.

“It seems to be prefer it was a cheerful, enjoyable place when it was something however.

“I need to know if Aaron was within the seclusion room when this was taking place or if he was being hit or kicked at the time.

“I used to be getting updates from the police about what they had been seeing on the CCTV.

“I misplaced rely at 160 assaults on Aaron. He’s been kicked within the groin [and] he’s been punched.

“They dragged him throughout the bottom along with his genitals uncovered.

“Much, much worse happened in there than has already come out, so it’s infuriating, to say the least, to see this image.”

Cathy Morrice, whose 27-year-old nephew Timothy Jones stays a resident at Muckamore, was outraged when she noticed the picture.

“The first question I had when I saw it was, where was Timothy at the time? Was he locked in his bedroom?” she requested.

“There is such a discrepancy between what we are able to see within the image and what we all know was occurring within the hospital.

“I’ve seen CCTV footage the place a affected person is being kicked by a number of members of employees and a colleague is sitting at a pc, and so they simply look over and look away like nothing is going on.

“That’s how widespread and acceptable it was, that stage of violence.

“They didn’t even react after they noticed somebody on the bottom being kicked.

“In my thoughts, they’re virtually worse than the individuals who had been doing the kicking.

“Then to see this picture at the weekend, it’s really alarming.”

Phoenix Law solicitor Claire McKeegan, who acts for Action for Muckamore and The Society of Parents and Friends of Muckamore, mentioned: “We will be writing to the Belfast Trust for further information on this image, which has caused additional stress for the families I represent.”

A spokesman from the Belfast Trust mentioned: “We are extraordinarily sorry for the anger this has precipitated for households whose family members suffered abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital.

“The abuse some of our patients received was shocking, and we are working with the inquiry openly and honestly to ensure families get the answers they deserve.”

Last week, the Muckamore Inquiry heard harrowing particulars of a number of the abuse suffered by residents, together with a member of employees threatening to chop off a weak affected person’s genitals and break his jaw if he spoke about what he had endured.

A mom was instructed she would have her baby eliminated if she made allegations of abuse, the investigation heard.

Monye Anyadike-Danes QC, counsel for numerous the households, mentioned CCTV footage from contained in the hospital had revealed the “industrial scale” of abuse and the way in which that it was carried out.

She added that employees had been “indifferent” to the consequences of raised voices, bodily violence, punishment and isolation, and ignored residents’ cries for consideration or help.

The barrister additionally mentioned employees didn’t solely deny the suggestion of abuse, but additionally that there was a “pervading sense of fear” and intimidation round reporting such behaviour.

The hospital is presently at the centre of the UK’s largest grownup safeguarding investigation.

The time frame being examined by PSNI detectives runs from March to November 2017, which takes within the interval when the so-called superhero safety briefs had been taking place.