NSW: Police ask hospital rape victims to come forward

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NSW: Police ask hospital rape victims to come forward

By Denise Ryan

NEWCASTLE, Aug 15 AAP - The cancer patient allegedly raped and bashed at a Newcastlehospital believes her attacker could strike again.

"I think if they're that sick, they'll do it more than once," she told radio 2GB.

"It's not just brave, it's just trying to get on ... I used to joke that for a dyingperson I used to joke that I was pretty happy. And he (attacker) has really just takenall my confidence.

"You don't want him to win. If he was the type and I always thought that that soughtof person, I think if they're that sick, they'll do it more than once."

Police today urged other women who were raped or sexually assaulted at the Mater Hospitalin Newcastle to come forward with information.

This follows an unsigned statement from a former nurse last week in which she claimedto have been sexually assaulted in the hospital's grounds in the 1990s.

Local Area Commander of Waratah Superintendent Lee Shearer said there was not enoughinformation to determine whether two reported incidents of sexual assault at the HunterRegion hospital were linked or isolated incidents.

Further allegations emerged in the media today of up to nine further sexual assaultsat the hospital but police dismissed them as "speculative".

Police have not ruled out the possibility a serial rapist could be responsible forthe attacks at the hospital.

"The reality is they to us at the moment are speculation and hearsay," said Supt Shearer.

Supt Shearer said if anyone had been sexually assaulted or raped they should come forward,even if they were not prepared to go through with a prosecution.

"Ultimately the information they gave us could very well start to build a picture andwe might be able to say whether it's one person or an isolated incident, but we just don'thave that information at the moment."

Supt Shearer said that police would provide a safe environment for victims and wouldensure their anonymity.

"We have got to respect the victims of these type of crimes," she said.

Supt Shearer said she was shocked at the nature of the alleged rape in June.

"I think it would shock anyone in the community," she said.

"I mean they are probably the most vulnerable people in the community.

"The most important thing from my perspective is to do everything in our power to findout who this person is."

NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said the allegations of multiple assaults wouldbe thoroughly investigated.

"That needs to the subject of a very intense investigation and obviously we need to,in consultation with our colleagues at the Department of Health, look at the securityissue in the hospitals."

General Manager of the Mater, Mr Colin Osborne, said the hospital had sought an independentreview of security following the incident in June and that additional security measureshad been put in place.

He said he had no knowledge of any complaints, reports or allegations of further incidentsoccurring at the hospital.

"There's no record as far as I am aware but obviously we will assist police by scouringthe records to see if there is any substance to the allegations," he said.

AAP dr/arb/mg/sb

KEYWORD: HOSPITAL NIGHTLEAD