'Winterbourne View 10' are charged

29 November 2011

Ten male members of staff at the former Winterbourne View care home near Bristol – closed down following allegations of abuse of residents – have been charged with ill treatment and neglect of patients.

While a select committee listens to tales of press intrusion and media subterfuge, the undercover work by journalists working for the BBC's Panorama programme is acknowledged to have led to the closure.

It is widely accepted that without the courage of a whistleblower and journalists using deception to get into a home that cared for vulnerable people, the alleged abuse would still be continuing to this day.

The 10 people are said to be facing 40 charges against four patients under the Mental Capacity Act. Seven men will appear before Bristol magistrates on 15 December while the other three await further investigation.