Northern Ireland

Twelfth person arrested in connection with Muckamore abuse probe

Muckamore Abbey Hospital in Co Antrim is at the centre of a massive police investigation. Picture Mal McCann.
Muckamore Abbey Hospital in Co Antrim is at the centre of a massive police investigation. Picture Mal McCann. Muckamore Abbey Hospital in Co Antrim is at the centre of a massive police investigation. Picture Mal McCann.

A 29-YEAR-OLD woman has become the twelfth person to be arrested as part of a major investigation in abuse allegations at Muckamore Abbey Hospital.

She was detained in the Antrim area today by officers from the PSNI's Public Protection Branch.

The development comes less than a week after the arrest of a 44-year-old woman.

It has also emerged that disciplinary action against healthcare staff linked to the scandal is underway at the Belfast health trust - three years after allegations first emerged.

The Irish News revealed on Saturday details of a letter sent by trust chief executive, Dr Cathy Jack, to families of Muckamore patients in which she confirmed disciplinary processes were delayed due to the police case. Read more

Dr Cathy Jack stressed that "absolute rigour" would be applied to employees suspected of harming vulnerable patients at the Co Antrim facility.

Health minister Robin Swann announced last month that a public inquiry will now take place into the allegations following a campaign by families.

The inquiry will run in tandem with the unprecedented police investigation, which is now the biggest criminal adult safeguarding probe of its kind in the UK, with 1,500 suspected crimes discovered on one ward alone.

No-one has been prosecuted to date.

A total of 62 of staff members have been suspended by the trust.