London paramedic who was sexually assaulted by a patient has spoken out in the hope it will encourage others to seek justice.
Naveed Ahmed, 35, was jailed in November last year for nine months after he groped paramedic Charlotte Miller and exposed himself.
Ms Miller has waived her right to anonymity, which is automatically granted to victims of sexual offences, to encourage others to report similar crimes.
She said: “My crewmate and I were encouraging the patient to get into the ambulance so we could assess him, but he grabbed my crotch and tried to grab me again. Then he pulled his pants down.
“I couldn’t believe it, I was asking myself if it really happened. I was frightened and scared. I think the reason I was so shocked was because it was so unexpected – I was there to help him.”
Footage released from an ambulance video camera shows Ms Miller on her radio calling the police moments after the assault, which took place in October last year.
Officers arrived in less than a minute and arrested Ahmed at the scene on Edgware Road.
Ms Miller added: “The whole thing was sickening and disgusting and really made us feel quite vulnerable.
“But I would urge everyone to report these things because I was well supported by my management team and by the police.
“It’s only by reporting this sort of behaviour and helping police to prosecute that the message will get through that there are serious consequences.”
In 2022 there were a total of 49 sexual assaults on London Ambulance Service (LAS) staff or volunteers. There were a further 516 physical assaults – including kicking, punching, head-butting and attacks with a weapon.
Last year, the Standard reported how the LAS had invested more than £3 million to equip its ambulances with video cameras to protect crews and secure criminal convictions against people who assault emergency workers.
Footage captured by the ambulance cameras has been used in several successful prosecutions, with 92 submissions of video evidence since April 2022.
The LAS’ Chief Paramedic Dr John Martin said: “Our ambulance crews and call handlers should be able to work without fear of violence, sexual violence or threats.
“They come to work each day to help others so we will do everything we can to keep them safe and ensure they are treated with the respect they deserve.”
Detective Constable Jorge Sobral, of the Metropolitan Police, was part of the team who pursued the case again Ahmed.
He said: “Our colleagues in the ambulance service dedicate their lives to helping people, and it is not acceptable for them to be treated like this.”
