'I should have been safe in hospital, instead this man abused me'
A former Alder Hey Children's Hospital worker abused his trusted position to groom and sexually assault young boys in his care. Graham Goodchild, 81, sexually abused four boys while working as a night superintendent at the hospital in the 1960s and 70s - assaulting one youngster as he lay helpless in his hospital bed.
The majority of the sexual assaults occurred in the homes of the victims or at Goodchild’s home in Merseyside, or on day trips to parks, with one victim being abused at the hospital.
Goodchild's offending was first reported by one of his victims in 2012 - however, the victim had believed Goodchild was a doctor, and the investigation was dropped by Merseyside Police after no records of a Dr Goodchild were found at Alder Hey. It was not until 2019, when the victim found a record of Goodchild's name in local newspaper archives, that the former night superintendent was finally identified.
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At Liverpool Crown Court today, September 23, prosecutor Simon Christie said Goodchild's offending began in the 1960s, when his first victim was admitted to Alder Hey Children's Hospital as a patient. He also systematically abused another young patient "who was particularly vulnerable, being effectively left at the hospital by parents who didn't demonstrate any particular care for him".
In a statement read to the court, one victim said: "In secondary school reality started to kick in for me. We learned, we understood, looked inwards and started making sense of what actually happened. For me, my sexuality felt inextricably linked to what my childhood experiences were. I became confused, scared, ashamed, even paranoid. I kept believing everybody would find out what happened to me.
"The combination of abuse made me insecure, destroyed my teenage years, and carried through my adult years. I have carried guilt and fear with me most of my adult life. Shame too. Even today I don't feel comfortable in my skin. I still feel guilty for leaving it so long to face this."
He said Goodchild's abuse had caused him to suffer from depression, anxiety and self harm, adding: "I have been grieving most of my life. Grieving for the childhood lost and the life I would never have."
Another victim, a former patient, said: "As a result of the abuse I was subjected to by this evil man, I lost a great deal of confidence. I felt as through I had gone into a shell. The events I was subjected to had a lasting effect on my life in general." He added: "I can't believe this person was in a position where he was responsible for the care of children."
Another former patient, who was on one occasion assaulted by Goodchild as he laid in his hospital bed, said: "I should have been safe (in hospital) but I was abused. I was vulnerable and I didn't stand a chance. As a child I was terrified of him. He did things that made me so scared. I couldn't tell anyone. I had no one to turn to. I felt no one would believe me. I was on my own.
"What happened to me had an effect on me. It destroyed my soul. I first took drugs when I was just 13 years old so I could just forget. I carried on taking drugs in my life and spent a large chunk in psychiatric wards... I often think if I had said something earlier, my life would have been different."
Goodchild, of Firtree Way, Southampton, had denied all offences. But he was found guilty of 17 counts of sexual assault and an attempted sexual assault following a trial earlier this year.
William Evans, defending, said: "He denied these offences and as the court will be aware, he maintains these denials. In these circumstances, mitigation that can be advanced on his behalf is very limited, bearing in mind also the nature, the multiplicity, and duration of the offences of which he has been convicted."
Judge David Potter, sentencing, said: "I have had regard to your age and the fact that until your convictions you were a man of good character. But both these factors can only have limited relevance. You lived long into retirement with the knowledge you have abused children. But your victims, now of middle age, have had to endure the pain of your abuse throughout their lives and that has had a massive impact on all.
"The reality of that the length of the sentence I'm about to impose will man you likely to remain in prison for the rest of your life., subject to the discretion of the Secretary of State on compassionate grounds." He sentenced Goodchild to a minimum of 24 years in prison, with an extension of one year.