David Fuller: Mortuary abuse inquiry moves into new phase

Funeral directors are being urged to help an inquiry into the sexual abuse of bodies by former hospital worker and double murderer David Fuller.

Fuller, who was jailed in 2021, abused the bodies of 101 females in hospital mortuaries between 2005 and 2020.

The independent probe into how his crimes went undetected for so long will now consider the national picture.

It will initially focus on safeguarding in private mortuaries, private ambulances and in the funeral sector.

Inquiry chair Sir Jonathan Michael urged workers in these sectors to get in touch, to share experiences and explain current arrangements for the care of the deceased.

He said he wanted to hear what should be done to prevent the "atrocious crimes" from happening again.

The inquiry was making good progress, he added, which was why it was able to move on to the second part of the review.

Sir Jonathan said: "We have received a wealth of evidence... which relates specifically to the crimes committed by David Fuller in Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells."

Last month, the inquiry called for people who may have worked with Fuller in the 1990s to come forward following new "allegations of inappropriate behaviour."

Sir Jonathan praised those whose testimony has helped so far.

"You can't help but be very moved by the impact that Fuller's offending has had on the families of the victims. We have had very good co-operation [from them].

"And we have had a good response from staff and people across the trust," he said.

After the announcement, Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark said Fuller's crimes were "unutterably horrific" and "the whole of the country has a big stake in making sure that this can never happen again".

He added: "I'm sure there will be findings in terms of the security around mortuaries for example, and in the case of Fuller, the vetting of staff, which if they have lessons to learn, need to be applied immediately… across the country."

Fuller worked in electrical maintenance at hospitals from 1989, and was at the Kent and Sussex Hospital until it closed in September 2011.

He was transferred to the Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury, where the offences continued until his arrest in 2020.

In 2021, Fuller, from Heathfield in East Sussex, was given two whole-life tariffs for murdering Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in 1987.

He was also previously sentenced for sexual offences against 78 dead women and girls between 2008 and 2020.

He then received an extra four years for abusing a further 23 women in December 2022.

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