Woman raped by mental health nurse sues the NHS for £100,000

A WOMAN repeatedly raped by a nurse who was supposed to be caring for her is suing the NHS for at least £100,000.

The mother-of-two, in her forties, was subjected to a series of sex attacks at the hands of Vijay Bundhun in 2013.

The woman, who can only be identified as “C” for legal reasons, has filed a High Court writ describing how she was juggling a “demanding and well paid career” as a sales executive with bringing up two children as a single mother when Bundhun targeted her.

The “predatory” nurse was supposed to be helping her through a detox programme when he raped her twice in her home, and attempted to rape her a third time while she was under the influence of “a strong dose of sedative medication”.

Married Bundhun, 43, was a mental health nurse at Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital in Kent. At Maidstone crown court last year he was jailed for life after being convicted of the attacks on the businesswoman, three other women and two teenagers.

“C” is seeking a minimum £100,000 in compensation from Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust, claiming it failed in its duty to protect her.

In the writ, the businesswoman says the trust was “at all material times responsible for her care” while she was being abused by its employee.

Despite holding down a successful job, she had been at a low ebb in 2013, had “begun drinking far too much” and was feeling “anxious and lonely”, the document states.

She started a detox programme to address her drinking and was “told that arrangements would be made for her to have the support of a mental health nurse who would visit her at her home and help through the detox”.

She was “introduced to Vijay Bundhun, who seemed to her to be very approachable and pleasant and understanding of her problems”. But “having gained her trust during home visits, Vijay Bundhun coerced her to have sexual intercourse on two occasions.

“He tried a third time but she was able to resist,” the writ adds. He was convicted of two rapes and one attempted rape against “C”, the writ states.

The victim said she was now signed off sick because of post-traumatic stress disorder, which had “put in jeopardy her career and future prospects”.

The defence of the health trust to the action was not available from the court and the contents of the writ are yet to be tested in evidence before a judge. The Standard has contacted the trust seeking a comment.

At the trial in August last year, Bundhun, of Canterbury, was found guilty of four counts of rape, eight of sexual assault and one of assault by penetration. Judge Michael Carroll ordered him to serve a minimum of 11 years before he can be considered for parole. He has been struck off the nursing register.