Patient allegedly sexually assaults nurse at Melbourne forensic hospital

Police are investigating the alleged sexual assault of a nurse by a patient at the high-security Thomas Embling mental health hospital.

It comes as documents obtained by the ABC reveal the hospital's management failed to inform its board that it was in danger of losing its training accreditation due to staff shortages and occupational violence.

WorkSafe inspectors are making inquiries to determine if more action is needed at the hospital.

A nurse has allegedly been sexually assaulted by a patient detained at Victoria's only forensic hospital, as distressed staff detail concerns about dysfunction at the facility in Melbourne's inner north.

Victoria Police is investigating and WorkSafe is making inquiries about the incident this week, which two sources in the sector described as serious and distressing.

"It is understood a woman was working at a health facility on Yarra Bend Road … She was approached by a patient in the facility and sexually assaulted," a Victoria Police spokesperson said.

Thomas Embling Hospital, a secure facility in Fairfield, treats patients found not guilty of serious violent crimes because of mental illness. Other patients are transferred from prisons when they need temporary care for an acute mental health issue.

A spokeswoman for Forensicare, which operates the site, said in a statement the organisation's primary concern was "for the people involved and supporting their welfare, safety and wellbeing".

"We are working closely with relevant authorities and providing police with all the necessary assistance to support their investigation," the spokeswoman said.

The facility has been beset with occupational violence and drug abuse, staff turnover and burnout. An independent review found the operator, Forensicare, was also inefficient with government funding.

Documents obtained by the ABC under Freedom of Information laws further reveal that management failed to inform the board that staffing levels and occupational violence was threatening the hospital's ability to host trainees, and ultimately fulfil its role as the state's only forensic mental health provider.

Last year, the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists stripped the hospital of its training accreditation after years of warnings when a trainee was seriously assaulted.

Board minutes from a special meeting in October 2025 suggest the board had not been made aware the hospital's training accreditation was at risk.

"The board made it clear to management that the risk of losing accreditation should have been escalated to it sooner given management had been on notice regarding the concerns for some time and the serious consequences of losing accreditation has for the organisation, including from a reputational perspective," the minutes state.

"The executive director clinical services conveyed his regret that the training accreditation risk had not been escalated to the board earlier, particularly in the context of the time period between the concerns first arising and the revocation decision being made, and the serious nature of the concerns and impact of losing the training accreditation."

Board chair Penny Armytage, who headed the Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System, noted at the meeting that the training program was "critical" for Forensicare "to effectively perform its role as the state's only forensic mental health service provider".

Two training posts were returned by the college this year. Forensicare has not re-applied for the outstanding positions, despite the board last year insisting management "must go above and beyond to get re-accredited as quickly as possible … to avoid further damage to Forensicare and the forensic mental health system more broadly".

In response to media coverage, the minutes suggest the board had also voiced concerns Forensicare was unable to "shift the narrative".

"Management agreed it would be helpful to speak to an external communications firm," the minutes state.

One mental health sector source said the minutes showed there was a "culture of denial" within Forensicare.

Another said the latest incident reflected a "sustained failure of executive leadership to drive accountability" for continuous improvement in the hospital's safety systems.

Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation state secretary Maddy Harradence confirmed the union was aware of the serious incident this week.

"ANMF's focus is on supporting our members and ensuring they have access to the appropriate supports at this difficult time," she said.

"We remain committed to working collaboratively with Forensicare to strengthen the safety and wellbeing of our members now and into the future."

A WorkSafe spokesman confirmed the authority had been notified of the incident and said inspectors were making inquiries to decide if more action was needed.

WorkSafe issued improvement notices in 2023, which were met in 2024, Forensicare said.

A Victorian government spokeswoman said every healthcare worker deserved to feel safe at work.

"The alleged sexual assault is deeply concerning and our thoughts are with the nurse involved," she said.

"We expect all health providers to prioritise staff and patient safety and ensure concerns are addressed appropriately.

"Forensicare has accepted all the recommendations of the independent workforce review and our expectation is that these translate into improvements."

On Thursday afternoon, Labor announced it would roll out staff-patient ratios in public mental health acute settings after years of advocacy from the unions.

Forensicare did not directly respond when asked how many staff were on-shift at the time of the incident.

Forensicare declined to comment further while the police investigation is underway and out of respect for the privacy and wellbeing of those involved.

"Out of respect for the privacy and wellbeing of those involved, we will not comment further while the police investigation is underway," a spokeswoman said.