Glynn Brown was devastated when he learned that his severely disabled son, Aaron, may have been assaulted by staff at Muckamore Abbey Hospital. Aaron, who is non-verbal and has the mental age of a two-year-old, could not communicate what had happened. Initially, Glynn was informed that there was no CCTV footage of the incident, as the cameras had not been activated. However, this was not the case.

In September 2017, police discovered that the CCTV cameras had been mistakenly left running since their installation six months earlier. This oversight led to the UK's largest adult safeguarding investigation, with the hospital becoming one of the nation's biggest crime scenes. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) found an astonishing 300,000 hours of footage, equivalent to 34 years' worth, which revealed not only the alleged assault on Aaron but also numerous other incidents of abuse by staff.

Despite the gravity of the situation, nearly eight years later, no cases have gone to trial, and the hospital remains open. A public inquiry into the events has yet to report its findings, and families of the patients have not been permitted to view the CCTV footage. Glynn expressed his frustration, stating, "We're left to conjure up these images in our own mind as to what has happened to our loved ones."

The BBC's investigation has uncovered harrowing descriptions of the footage, which includes accounts of patients suffering severe cruelty and neglect. Reports detail vulnerable young adults being punched, kicked, and dragged across floors, as well as possessions being taken away and emotional abuse being inflicted. One patient was reportedly locked in a room for 18 hours and frequently denied access to a bathroom despite being incontinent.

The task of reviewing the footage was initially assigned to the Belfast Health Trust, which manages Muckamore Abbey. They attempted to analyse samples from eight cameras at an accelerated speed, a process described as "impossible" by one team member. Glynn received regular updates about Aaron's treatment, with the number of reported incidents reaching over 200. He recounted being told about videos showing his son being kicked and dragged, which left him horrified.

The PSNI later seized the footage and were shocked by their findings. In just one of the four wards under investigation, they identified 1,500 potential crimes. Professor Andrew McDonnell, a clinical psychologist, remarked on the unprecedented scale of the abuse, stating, "The sheer volume and scale of it - it dwarfs anything I've ever seen before."

As the investigation continues, the families affected by the events at Muckamore Abbey Hospital await justice and answers.