Muckamore Abbey Hospital patient's genitals were 'bruised so badly they turned black', inquiry told
A father whose son spent almost ten years at Muckamore Abbey Hospital, has told an inquiry how on one occasion his genitals were "bruised so badly that they turned black".
The Antrim facility, which is due to close in June 2024, provides inpatient services for adults with learning difficulties.
It is the subject of a long-running criminal investigation and an ongoing public inquiry, chaired by Tom Kark KC, into allegations of abuse.
On Monday, the inquiry heard statements from the family of a man, now aged in his 50s, who was a patient at Muckamore Abbey Hospital between 1999 and 2008.
His father, known to the inquiry as Douglas, explained that when he raised the bruising issue with a member of staff it was suggested that his son "could have walked into something sharp or a bench to hurt his privates like that".
Douglas said that he and his wife were "very disappointed" such a suggestion had been made, adding that they relayed this to the staff member at the time.
The inquiry further heard that police were called out to investigate the issue however Douglas said: "Nothing ever came of the police investigation and we were not told why".
He added: "The evidence was there to see that someone had really hurt him".
The inquiry also heard that the bruising came to light after the patient had suffered a fractured arm "but no-one in Muckamore Abbey Hospital could say how he sustained the injury", said Douglas.
"The hospital didn't put a full cast" on the patient's arm, and he "picked at it overnight and it came off". The family said: "If anyone had been checking...they would have noticed that he had picked off his cast. After this nothing more was said or done to discover how his arm was fractured."
The inquiry was told that before the patient entered Muckamore "he was a good healthy weight" but that "after he went into the hospital this changed".
"His weight dropped dramatically" to around six stone, according to his father.
His demeanor also changed, and while he had difficulty with communication he did use some words before entering the hospital but when he was admitted "his speech totally disappeared, he was not talking to anybody".
His father's statement explained: "We now believe that this was because of the things that were happening, that he could not tell us about, so he went into himself."
In 2008, the patient was put forward for resettlement and is living in a new location which his father said "has been the best decision".
"He gets fresh, lovely food all the time. If he has even a wee nick on his knee, now we hear on the telephone straight away. There was nothing like this from Muckamore Abbey Hospital."
The inquiry continues.
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