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Emily Hilton, a volunteer paramedic, has shared the distressing experience of being sexually assaulted while responding to a 999 emergency call. Last March, Emily was attending to a man who had fallen on a busy road in Cardiff when the incident occurred. The 24-year-old community first responder revealed that the assault deeply affected her confidence and caused her to seriously reconsider continuing in her role.
Community first responders like Emily play a critical role by arriving early at emergency scenes within their neighborhoods to provide immediate first aid until an ambulance arrives. They are trained in important skills such as CPR, oxygen therapy, and the use of defibrillators. Emily was the first on the scene at Newport Road after receiving reports that a man had fallen from his wheelchair. Despite the man initially refusing medical treatment and only wanting help to get home, the situation quickly escalated.
Emily recounted how the patient became verbally aggressive, threatening her with violence before suddenly grabbing her neck and attempting to kiss her. “I was completely taken aback that he’d grabbed me in the first place,” she said, describing how she momentarily feared he was holding a knife because of the vape he had in hand. She managed to pull away and awaited the arrival of the ambulance crew, who then alerted the police following her disclosure of the assault. Prior to this, Emily had never experienced such behavior in her three years of volunteering.
The man responsible, Craig Burgess, aged 48 from Cardiff, was arrested and subsequently found guilty of sexual assault. In May, he received a community order, along with a fine and compensation payments, and was placed on the sex offenders register for five years. The Welsh Ambulance Service has highlighted the broader issue of violence against emergency workers, citing research that reported 3,000 assaults in Wales between June 2023 and June 2024. Efforts to combat such abuse include legislative changes that have increased maximum sentences for assaults on emergency personnel and ongoing awareness campaigns aimed at reducing these incidents. Emma Wood, chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service, condemned the attack, emphasizing the unacceptable nature of assaults on those volunteering their time. South Wales Police also stressed the lasting psychological impact such assaults can have on victims, underscoring that no individual should fear violence while simply trying to help others
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