In an unnerving tale for hospital management to consider when hiring contractors, the UK government has issued a 300-plus page report from a recent inquiry into the bizarre offences committed by an electrician — and frequent morgue visitor.
“The offences that David Fuller committed were truly shocking,” the British report said. “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 with no chance of release after he pleaded guilty to two counts of murder related to Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, in two separate attacks in 1987. But he is also serving a concurrent 12-year term, after admitting to dozens of instances of necrophilia, committing at least 140 acts on the bodies of more than 100 victims, ranging in age from nine to 100 years old.
The case prosecutor said the level of necrophilia had never been seen on that scale before in British court and an inquiry was launched to find out how Fuller was able to get away with it for so long, between 2005 to 2020, and to prevent such abuse from ever happening again.
Fuller was described as “brazen” in committing his crimes, taking risks during working hours when other employees were in the mortuary, and the inquiry said it could not determine how he had been able to carry out the abuse without being caught.
The electrician, who would occasionally have to perform maintenance on the refrigeration system in the mortuary, routinely entered the department — as many as 444 times in one year —without being properly questioned.
“This is not solely the story of a rogue electrical maintenance supervisor. David Fuller’s victims and their relatives were repeatedly let down by those at all levels whose job it was to protect and care for them,” the report found.
The inquiry ultimately recommended that surveillance cameras be installed in the mortuary and post-mortem room, and that non-mortuary workers and contractors be accompanied to the mortuary by another staff member.
This article was published in its original form by Associated Press.