Inquiry into Kent necrophile calls for action

The inquiry chair warns that under current rules, anyone could set themselves up as a funeral director.   Bartholomew Hall reports.

Transcript

00:00David Fuller is currently serving a whole-life prison sentence after being convicted of sexually

00:05abusing the bodies of at least 101 women and girls whilst he was working at two Kent hospitals.

00:13In November last year, the first of a two-part inquiry into his case found serious failings

00:18at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, which enabled Fuller to commit his crimes.

00:24Now the inquiry has shifted its focus to explore the wider national picture of settings where

00:29the deceased are found, such as in the NHS and funeral parlours. In an interim report,

00:35the government has been urgently recommended to set up an independent regulator for the

00:39funeral care sector, something the inquiry's chair says many will be surprised to find

00:44out doesn't exist.

00:46There are no standards required for the care of the deceased. There's no licensing or

00:54registration of funeral directors. There is no inspection regime. There is no minimum

01:01qualifications for people to become a funeral director and, as I say, significant variation

01:07in practice.

01:09It comes after the inquiry heard evidence of worrying cases such as where litter was

01:13left inside coffins, personal belongings not being disposed of correctly or even instances

01:19of sexual abuse.

01:21Obviously, David Fuller's crimes were committed by an electrician in an NHS setting. But as

01:27funeral directors, we care about deceased wherever they are, whether they're in a hospital

01:32setting or a care home or a funeral director's own premises. So what we would like to see

01:39is that the standards and the requirements of members in our trade association apply

01:47across the whole piece.

01:49I wouldn't go so far to say it's a Wild West. I mean, obviously, there are these extraordinary,

01:55depraved, horrible cases like the David Fuller one. But the vast majority of funeral directors

02:01are caring. We're not talking about heavy overregulation here, but simple checks and

02:08balances in the system to make sure that these sorts of transgressions are much less likely

02:15to happen in future. I think that's just good common sense.

02:18In its response, the government says it is committed to preventing any similar atrocities

02:23happening again and ensuring that the deceased are safeguarded and treated with dignity.

02:29It's hoped now, as phase two of the inquiry continues, that lessons can be learned to

02:34make sure the security and dignity of those who have passed is protected from harm.

02:39Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.