• August 1987 – My sister Alison is committed to an NHS mental health hospital in Carlisle, North Cumbria – unknown to us a 35yr old psychiatric nurse called Robert Scott-Buccleuch is taking an interest in her. Alison is 21yrs old.
• December 1987 – After a few months back home in Penrith, Alison is once again committed to the same NHS hospital. Records reveal that staff noticed Scott-Buccleuch taking an increasingly inappropriate interest in her.
• January 1988 – Alison becomes an outpatient of the mental health hospital under the care of consultant psychiatrist Dr T M Singh.
• August 1988 – Alison endures a crisis pregnancy, the NHS nurse has been having sex, illegally, on hospital premises with her. Forms authorising a secretive abortion are signed by Dr T M Singh, the NHS consultant psychiatrist treating Alison.

After the abortion, no support is given to Alison. It appears she was blamed for what happened, told not to talk about it, told nobody would believe her, and encouraged to leave the hospital. The matter is covered up and records relating to what occurred are destroyed. Scott-Buccleuch is given an administrative job in the NHS. He is not reprimanded, disciplined or reported.

• December 1991 – While an inpatient of Doncaster NHS mental health services, Alison steps in front a train at Rotherham Rail Station. The date is close to the expected birthdate of her aborted baby – a known trigger point for women with a mental health condition.
• January 2001 – My older sister Sarah and I become aware of what was done to Alison when she was a patient of the NHS in Cumbria. I approach the Chief executive of North Cumbria NHS and Cumbria police to establish the truth and seek justice.
• August 2001 – I locate and obtain key documents, including a copy of the pregnancy termination certificate. Copies of these are sent to the Chief Executive of North Cumbria NHS and the investigating detectives from Cumbria police.
• February 2002 – Officer Kirkbride of Cumbria police sends a letter saying the investigation has ended. The Crown Prosecution Service have decided there is not enough evidence to progress. He says the police interviewed the suspect, Scott-Buccleuch.

Years later it will emerge that officer Kirkbride lied. Cumbria police did not interview the suspect and then sent an incomplete file to the Crown Prosecution Service – the file did not contain any of the key documents I sent them. It will also emerge that a senior police commander had been on the board of the NHS mental health hospital in question at the time of the investigation.

• Summer 2016 – Following an appeal, Cumbria police reluctantly agree to review their original investigation. The findings of this review are so damning the police try to withhold the report. It reveals they had no basic investigation plan, did not interview anyone from a list of nine relevant people, and mislaid the documents I sent them. These findings force them to launch a fresh investigation.
• February 2017 – During the course of the second police investigation, Robert Scott-Buccleuch finally admits under caution having sex with Alison on hospital premises and admits knowing about the pregnancy and helping arrange the abortion.
• May 2017 – The Crown Prosecution Service tell us that even though the suspect has admitted what he did, they feel it would not be in the public interest to prosecute him. We challenge their decision, they remain unmoved and our appeal is rejected.

At a meeting with the CPS, senior crown prosecutor Isla Chilton says she doesn’t think what happened was a big deal, in her words, “The only thing he did wrong was having sex in the wrong place“…we are dumbfounded. I recorded that conversation!

• Summer 2019 – We launch a crowd funding campaign to raise the legal fees needed to secure a fresh inquest into Alison’s death. We know an inquest will not provide justice but we feel it might at least allow some of the facts and more truth to emerge.
• March 2023 – At the High Court in London we are refused a fresh inquest into Alison’s death. Two elderly male judges, with no mental health expertise, say they do not see how what happened would have impacted Alison’s state of mind at the time of her suicide.
• Summer 2024 – With no other option available to us, we prepare what we and a leading legal firm believe is a compelling case to bring a private prosecution against Robert Scott-Buccleuch. This will be our last chance.

May 2025 – The CPS block our final attempt to obtain justice. They say they still do not consider that prosecuting an NHS nurse who groomed and abused a mentally ill vulnerable young woman in an NHS hospital would be in the public interest. People are being prosecuted in the UK for waving flags, wearing t-shirts and protesting while the CPS allow those who’ve abused the vulnerable to live their lives as if nothing had happened. Any hopes I held of obtaining truth, accountability and justice via the British justice system are now gone. The next step is learning how to live in the shadow of injustice...