A coroner has ruled that a 75-year-old woman was unlawfully killed after being subjected to a violent sexual assault while a patient at Blackpool Victoria Hospital. The conclusion follows a lengthy investigation into the death of Valerie Kneale in November 2018.
Valerie Kneale died on November 16, 2018, four days after being admitted following a stroke at her home in Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire. The retired clerical assistant appeared lucid and was described as "chatty" when her family left the hospital shortly before midnight on November 12.
Family called back urgently
Her relatives were urgently called back after staff noted a "marked deterioration" in her condition during the early day shift. Hospital staff initially believed the effects of her stroke had worsened and agreed to place Mrs Kneale on end-of-life care.
Her family remained at her bedside from November 13 until she died. Police only decided to examine the death after being called to investigate allegations of mistreatment and neglect on the stroke unit that same month.
Post-mortem reveals shocking truth
A post-mortem examination concluded that Mrs Kneale died not because of her stroke but due to a "forcible sexual assault" inflicted during her hospital admission. This finding prompted detectives to launch a murder investigation.
Three healthcare assistants witnessed an "extensive and significant" amount of blood surrounding Mrs Kneale shortly after her death. One described "blood everywhere" on the bedsheets, which had soaked through to the mattress, requiring a body bag to prevent further leakage during transfer to the hospital mortuary.
Critical evidence lost
Staff also noticed an "overpowering and unusual smell" in Mrs Kneale's room, but the incident was not documented and concerns were not escalated to senior management. Retired senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Jill Riley told the inquest this resulted in a "significant delay" in securing critical evidence.
She said there were "limited, if any, forensic opportunities" as Mrs Kneale's room had been cleaned and used by other patients. Her clothing had been disposed of and CCTV footage from the hospital had been deleted.
Several public appeals, including a £20,000 reward offer from CrimeStoppers, failed to generate new information and the investigation concluded without identifying a perpetrator.
Coroner's final ruling
HM Coroner for Blackpool and Fylde, Alan Wilson, concluded that Mrs Kneale was unlawfully killed "by unlawful act manslaughter". He described her as a "much-loved woman" who had suffered a violent sexual assault in "particularly horrific" circumstances that could not have been foreseen.
"For someone to assault a vulnerable, relatively elderly woman in a hospital setting is really quite difficult to believe," Mr Wilson said.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
