Former porter at Great Ormond Street Children’s hospital accused of 80 sex offences

A former porter at London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children has been accused of more than 80 sex offences.

Paul Farrell, 55, is alleged to have targeted seven victims between 1985 and 2018 according to the Metropolitan Police.

The 84 charges against Farrell, of Camden, north London, include rape, attempted rape, and sexual assault of a child under 13.

He was remanded in custody and is due before Wood Green Magistrates’ Court later, the Met said.

News of the charges against Farrell emerged when the hospital issued a statement on Wednesday “regarding media stories about a former member of staff”.

Police said he was originally arrested on 16 January and made an appearance at Highbury Magistrates’ Court after being charged.

The hospital said in a statement:

“These are truly awful charges and we know that our hospital community, including our patient families, will have concerns or questions.

Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, we cannot go into the details of the case, but we can confirm that the individual who has been charged was dismissed from the trust and we are continuing to work closely with the police.

Safeguarding children is fundamental to the care we provide and our policies are in line with national best practice. If patients, their families or colleagues raise concerns about staff there is a clear and swift process to manage these concerns when they are raised. This includes involving the police where needed.”