Hospital employee arrested on suspicion of rape

A hospital is refusing to confirm whether it has suspended an employee who has been arrested on suspicion of rape. WalesOnline understands the University Hospital of Wales staff member was released under police investigation after his recent arrest. It is the second time in recent months that an employee of the Cardiff hospital has been arrested on suspicion of rape. The man arrested in the other case – which we revealed in February – was initially not suspended despite being on South Wales Police bail following allegations of rape, intentional strangulation, coercive or controlling behaviour, stalking, and common assault. After fierce criticism from the complainant in that case, the hospital U-turned and confirmed the suspect had been removed from the workplace. We understand that suspect remains on bail. When we asked about the more recent case, the hospital refused to answer whether the employee had been suspended or whether the alleged rape was suspected of taking place on its premises. A spokesman for Cardiff and Vale university health board said: “We are unable to comment on individual cases. Any individuals who are subject to an internal process are managed in accordance with our employment policies, and these matters remain strictly confidential. "Ensuring the safety of our patients, visitors, and colleagues remains our highest priority, and we want to provide assurance that where concerns are raised, the appropriate safeguarding measures are put in place." In the case from February, the health board initially said it had placed the employee in "a supervised non-patient facing role" rather than suspending him – a decision that outraged the complainant and prompted Plaid Cymru MS Heledd Fychan to urge the health board to "reassess" the situation . The complainant in that case said the decision not to suspend him had left her "very disheartened and quite frightened", worsened by the fact she has recently been attending appointments at the hospital in Heath. Llamau – a charity that tackles domestic abuse and related issues – also spoke out, telling us it is "imperative any employer sends a message of zero tolerance to allegations of such behaviour". Within days of the uproar, the health board said the man had been removed from the workplace. But in the more recent case it has refused to comment at all on his status. It is the latest in a series of controversies to have hit the health board. Two damning internal reports found potential criminal behaviour had been tolerated under weak leadership – including drug use and physical violence as well as allegations of sabotage and attempted poisoning . Former hospital employee Cherrill Atkinson told us she had witnessed a colleague snorting a white powder on the premises. She reported the matter to HR but was told they were already aware he had "issues", which were “confidential”. He later received a promotion . We also revealed an employee of the decontamination unit had kept his job despite a disciplinary investigation upholding an allegation he had exposed his private parts to a young female colleague. If you know of a story we should be investigating, you can email us at conor.gogarty@walesonline.co.uk Ensure our latest news and sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings.