MICHAEL SALMON SHOCKS SALISBURY AND STOKE MANDEVILLE WITH HORRIFIC CHILD SEX ABUSE SCANDAL

In a chilling case that has sent shockwaves through Salisbury and Stoke Mandeville, Michael Salmon, an 81-year-old former paediatric consultant, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for a series of heinous sexual assaults committed against young girls. The crimes, which spanned over a decade, involved Salmon exploiting his trusted position at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, where he carried out unnecessary and invasive examinations, including inappropriate breast and vaginal examinations, on vulnerable children.

Salmon’s actions came to light after he was previously convicted and sentenced to 18 years in prison in February 2015 for similar offences. The recent trial at Reading Crown Court revealed that Salmon had assaulted a total of 16 girls, some as young as eight years old, during his tenure from 1975 to 1989. The court heard that Salmon would often separate young girls from their parents under the guise of medical necessity, only to carry out sexual acts under the pretense of medical examinations. Victims recounted how Salmon would rub their breasts, conduct vaginal examinations that involved penetration, and even show them books about sex, all while abusing his professional authority.

Judge Johanna Cutts QC, who presided over the case, emphasized that Salmon believed himself to be ‘bomb proof,’ a dangerous arrogance that emboldened him to continue his abuse. She described how Salmon would engineer situations to be alone with his victims, including visiting a girl at her home while she was ill and persuading her mother to allow him into her room. The judge detailed the horrifying nature of Salmon’s misconduct, noting that he would ask victims about their sexual experiences, offer them contraceptives without prompting, and make inappropriate comments about sex and his own wife.

During the trial, approximately a dozen victims sat in court, many of whom were much younger than those involved in Salmon’s previous conviction. The judge recounted how Salmon’s reputation as a respected paediatrician was utterly misplaced, given his calculated and predatory behavior. She condemned his complete disregard for the well-being of his young patients, describing him as a ‘cold and calculating’ individual who used his medical authority to satisfy his own sexual gratification.

Salmon’s offending only ceased when police investigations uncovered his involvement in fraud, leading to his arrest. He admitted to three counts of sexual assault during a separate incident in 1989, which resulted in his suspension from medical practice and a prior sentence in 1990. Despite his age and the lengthy sentences already served, the court acknowledged that Salmon’s actions had caused lifelong trauma to his victims. The judge sentenced him to an additional four years, which will be served alongside his previous sentences, culminating in a total of 22 years behind bars for the multiple offences.

In her sentencing remarks, Judge Cutts highlighted Salmon’s lack of remorse and the profound impact his crimes had on the victims’ lives. She pointed out that his offending spanned 14 years, during which he exploited children who were ill and vulnerable, treating them as objects for his sexual gratification. The court also noted that Salmon’s behavior was particularly heinous given his professional standing and the trust placed in him by parents and general practitioners who referred children to him.

Salmon’s earlier conviction in 2015 was part of the broader Operation Yewtree investigation, which initially targeted Jimmy Savile but expanded to include other offenders at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Although there was no direct link between Salmon and Savile, both men abused children in the same hospital during overlapping periods. Salmon’s case was notable as he was the first individual charged under Operation Yewtree for offences committed at Stoke Mandeville.

Many of Salmon’s victims have struggled with the trauma for decades, with some describing nightmares and difficulty trusting medical professionals. Jessica Standley, a lawyer representing two of the victims, expressed relief at the sentence, emphasizing the importance of justice for those who suffered in silence for so long. She condemned Salmon’s dismissive attitude in court, where he suggested his victims were ‘lying’ or ‘gold diggers,’ and called for a reflection on the culture at Stoke Mandeville during the time of the abuse.

In a separate but related case, Salmon was convicted in 2015 of raping and sexually abusing young girls at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, with some victims as young as 12. His previous conviction in 1990 for similar offences underscored a pattern of predatory behavior that persisted over many years. Despite his age and health issues, the court made it clear that Salmon’s crimes were among the most egregious, and he was sentenced to a total of 18 years in prison, with the possibility of dying behind bars.

Throughout the proceedings, Salmon’s wife, Susie, who was present during his trial, chose not to attend the sentencing hearing. The case has raised serious questions about the culture of abuse at Stoke Mandeville Hospital during the 1970s and 1980s, a period marked by the presence of other notorious offenders like Jimmy Savile. The victims’ courage in coming forward has been widely praised, and their testimonies have contributed to a broader understanding of the systemic failures that allowed such abuse to occur for so many years.