LONDON (AP) — An inquiry ordered by the British government revealed serious failings at hospitals where an electrician, later convicted of murder, was able to have sex with over 100 corpses undetected for 15 years.
In 2020, David Fuller’s necrophilia was uncovered when DNA evidence tied him to the 1987 murders of two women and revealed millions of images of sexual abuse in his home. These images included videos of him having sex with the corpses of women and girls in the mortuaries at two hospitals in southeast England where he worked.
The 308-page inquiry report stated, “The offenses that David Fuller committed were truly shocking. However, the failures of management, governance, regulation and processes, and a persistent lack of curiosity, all contributed to the creation of the environment in which he was able to offend.
Fuller, 69, is serving a life sentence without release after pleading guilty to two counts of murder and necrophilia. The inquiry was launched to learn how he was able to get away with it for so long and to prevent such abuse from happening again.
The inquiry found that Fuller committed 140 violations against the bodies of at least 101 girls and women aged 9 to 100 between 2005 and 2020. Each instance was backed by photographic or video evidence.
The inquiry’s recommendations included the installation of surveillance cameras in the mortuary and post-mortem room, and that non-mortuary workers and contractors be accompanied to the mortuary by another staff member.
Family members of the victims expressed deep pain and anger, calling for greater accountability in the handling of the situation. They were appalled by the lack of supervision and oversight that allowed Fuller to continue his heinous acts unimpeded for so long.
“The impact on my family has been non-existent, because they don’t know,” said one man who lost his wife to Fuller’s depraved actions. “It’s basically robbed me of 25 years of happy memories. … Anything that reminds me of my wife also reminds me of what David Fuller did to her.”
There was widespread disbelief and outrage at the gross negligence that allowed Fuller to go unnoticed for so long, leading to a loss of trust in the NHS leadership.
