UK Morgue Worker Who Had Sex With 100 Corpses In Spotlight, Probe Warns It Could Happen Again

Last Updated:July 15, 2025, 18:52 IST

Phase 2 of the David Fuller inquiry warns that serious gaps in England’s mortuary oversight leave the system exposed, making it possible for similar offences to happen again.

Inquiry into David Fuller’s crimes finds that weak security, poor management and lack of regulation in post-death care could allow similar abuse to recur across England. (IMAGE: X)

The Phase 2 report of the public inquiry ordered into the David Fuller case was released on Tuesday, concluding that the appalling crimes committed by the former hospital worker could happen again due to gaps in how England regulates the care of people after death, according to a report by broadcaster Sky News.

(Sir) Jonathan Michael, chair of the inquiry, warned that the systems in place for mortuary oversight are “partial, ineffective and in significant areas, completely lacking".

He said the failings that allowed Fuller to abuse corpses for over a decade were not isolated to the hospitals where he worked but were echoed in examples found “across the country".

David Fuller, 70, was sentenced to a whole-life prison term in December 2021 for the murders of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in 1987.

But what shocked the nation even more was the revelation that over a span of 15 years, Fuller had sexually abused the corpses of at least 101 women and girls in hospital mortuaries. His victims ranged from nine to 100 years old.

The Phase 1 report found that Fuller entered one mortuary 444 times in a single year, often going unnoticed and unchecked. Deceased patients were also reportedly left out of fridges and unattended during working hours.

“I have asked myself whether there could be a recurrence of the appalling crimes committed by David Fuller? I have concluded that yes, it is entirely possible," Jonathan said. He called for statutory regulation to protect the security and dignity of deceased people in hospitals, care homes, funeral services and other sectors where bodies are kept.

The report paints a picture of how inadequate management, poor governance and weak security protocols may leave mortuaries and similar facilities vulnerable to abuse. It builds on findings from the first phase of the inquiry, which exposed deep failings at Kent and Sussex Hospital and Tunbridge Wells Hospital, which are the two facilities where Fuller worked.

London, United Kingdom (UK)

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