More than 6,500 rapes and sexual assaults, including against children under 13, were reported in hospitals across England and Wales in the last four years.

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At least 2,088 rapes and 4,451 sexual assaults in hospitals were reported to police between January 2019 and October 2022.

One in seven of the offences occurred on supposedly secure hospital wards.

And figures uncovered by the Women’s Rights Network reveal just 265 people – fewer than five per cent of alleged perpetrators – were charged for their offences.

It means dozens of brutal attacks take place in hospitals every week, with WRN founder Heather Binning claiming the statistics were “just the tip of the iceberg”.

She said: “Hospitals are places where everyone – patients, staff and visitors – should feel completely safe.

“But rapes and violent assaults are taking place every week in hospitals. To add to the horror, those men committing the crimes are getting away with it.”

Ms Binning likened the revelations to paedophile Jimmy Saville’s widespread abuse of patients at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, calling the stats “absoloutely terrifying”.

She added: “A charge rate of 4.1 per cent is appalling – the hospitals and police are failing women and children yet again.

“No one should have the added worry that they or a loved-one is at risk of being raped or sexually assaulted when they are in hospital.”

The stats – released under a Freedom of Information request – revealed at least 10 rapes were committed against underage girls at hospitals across Cambridgeshire, Lancashire and the West Midlands.

The WRN say the true figure is likely to be higher, as only 35 of the UK’s 43 police forces provided data to the charity’s investigation.