"Patients were abused at Muckamore Abbey Hospital. It is important to state that bold and simple fact."

The report says the revelation in 2017 of the abuse of patients at Muckamore Abbey Hospital "shocked" the relatives of those patients, the health community and the whole of Northern Ireland.

The report also makes it clear that abuse did not involve every patient nor every member of staff, nor a majority of the staff.

But many patients had their lives made "miserable" by systematic bullying by certain members of staff whose job it was to look after them.

Since the investigation began in 2017, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has reported 124 people to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).

So far, prosecutors have directed charges against 58 people, who are at various stages of the judicial process.

To date, three people have been prosecuted, two cautioned and one case dismissed.

Separately, the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust investigated 192 members of staff.

Of those:

• 19 were dismissed or sacked
• 64 referred to the Nursing and Midwifery Council – unclear how many have lost their registration
• 24 referred to the Northern Ireland Social Care Council
• 52 cases remain outstanding as they await investigation
• Others have left voluntarily with no case to answer

Marie-Louise Connolly
BBC News NI Health Correspondent

For years, Marjorie and Mark Sharp have asked themselves the same question: what happened to their daughter inside Muckamore Abbey Hospital?

Now 41, Laura was admitted aged 16 and spent more than 17 years there.

Her story, alongside dozens of others, will be included in the inquiry report.

"When Laura hears the word Muckamore she becomes anxious and fidgety she doesn't want to talk about it - things happened to her in there which she can't explain.

"One particular time she pulled her T-shirt up and she had bruises all around her chest and she stood up and said 'I'm scared'," Marjorie said.

Laura has learning disabilities and at times challenging behaviour, but she is also a young woman who loves playing badminton and who attempts to communicate through touching hands and smiling.

Her parents said it's a different picture from her days in Muckamore which confined her development and progress.

Like so many families caught up in the scandal the couple have many unanswered questions.

The final report runs to around 700 pages and is expected to contain dozens of recommendations.

They are likely to focus on safeguarding and the future of care for vulnerable adults in Northern Ireland.

The inquiry was set up to:

• Examine the nature and scale of abuse at the hospital
• Understand how it happened
• Ensure it can never happen again

The Muckamore public inquiry began in June 2022 and examined events at the hospital between December 1999 and June 2021.

It was chaired by Tom Kark KC

It heard evidence from 181 witnesses and considered more than 300 statements before concluding in March 2025.

Its final report is expected to outline the extent of the mistreatment of patients.

A specialist team, including police officers, trawled through more than 300,000 hours of CCTV footage from the hospital as part of the investigation.

Image source, Presseye

Muckamore Abbey Hospital has provided inpatient care for people with severe learning disabilities and mental health needs since 1949.

Allegations of abuse emerged in 2017, sparking a police investigation and later a public inquiry.

The hospital is set for closure, but remains at the centre of what the PSNI has called the UK’s biggest criminal adult safeguarding case.

To date, three people have been prosecuted and two cautioned.

In June 2022 a public inquiry into the allegations began.

Image source, PA Media

The long-awaited final report into the abuse of vulnerable adults at Muckamore Abbey Hospital will be published later today.

It is expected to reveal the scale of mistreatment suffered by patients.

Over the years we have heard from families who say their loved ones suffered bruising, broken bones, verbal harassment and goading while staying at the hospital.

Some of the abuse was captured on CCTV.

The PSNI has described it as the biggest criminal adult safeguarding investigation of its kind in the UK.

We’ll bring you the key findings, reaction and latest developments throughout the day.