Inquiry call over doctor's work at Broadmoor: Sex offenders given hormone implants

SEVERAL PATIENTS in Broadmoor were given sex hormone treatment by Dr Loucas in the 1970s, evidence gathered by the programme makers shows.

The patients, sex offenders, were offered slow-release hormone implants to curb their sexual urges. One patient said in a signed statement that those who took part believed that they would be released sooner than those who did not.

This patient, like some others, had an operation on one side of his chest before the treatment began. He said: 'I was told by Dr Loucas that the operation to restrict the growth of one of my breasts was done because he wanted to see if the other breast would grow.'

Soon afterwards, the breast on the other side of his chest began to swell.

The programme reveals that some patients who took part in this research developed breasts on one side of their bodies that were the size of a woman's.

At least one patient had a mastectomy to remove the enlarged breast.

Another was taunted by an inmate over his appearance and was eventually attacked by the same man with a knife. He lost a great deal of blood and has severe scarring over his neck, with the result that he can hardly speak.

One patient eventually went on hunger strike for about 10 days in order to make it clear that he did not want to continue with the hormone treatment.

The Independent can find no trace of a published account of this study or the side effects suffered by these patients.

Despite repeated attempts to contact Dr Loucas, he has refused to comment.