§ 49. Mr. Evelyn Kingasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many suicides there have been in Broad-moor from 1968 to the present time; how many attempted suicides, murders and assaults—by patients against patients and against staff—and outbreaks of arson, during the last 18 months; how many members of the public have been murdered by ex-Broadmoor patients, male and female, in the last 10 years; and how many suicides there have been amongst ex-Broadmoor patients over the same period; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. OwenIn the period from January 1968 there have been 14 cases of suicide in Broadmoor Hospital.
In the past 18 months there have been two cases of serious assault by patients on other patients, and one patient is at present on trial on a charge of the murder 224W of a patient. There have been no other serious assaults by patients in this period, but information about minor assaults is not readily available. Although there have been wide range of self-inflicted injuries by patients, the number of true suicide attempts cannot be determined. Two fires—one major and one minor—are believed to have been started deliberately.
In the past 10 years ex-Broadmoor patients—six males and two females—have been convicted of murder or manslaughter of nine persons, and one former male patient has been found unfit to plead to a charge of murder. So far as I am aware, there have been four cases of suicide by ex-Broadmoor patients in that period.