A London paramedic has spoken out after being sexually assaulted by a patient she was trying to help — only to discover he had attacked another ambulance worker earlier the same day.
Gosha Graf was caring for the patient when he assaulted her and then refused treatment. When she reviewed his notes, she learned he had sexually assaulted another paramedic earlier that day after also declining care.
“Why does anyone have to put up with this?”
Ms Graf said: “I was trying to help him when he grabbed me and I remember thinking, ‘Why does anyone have to put up with this just for doing their job?'”
“But what made it worse was finding out he had already done something similar to another paramedic that day.”
“This is not harmless behaviour and it should not be brushed off.”
“This man called 999 to abuse us.”
The man was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison for sexual assault in March this year.
Daily abuse
Ms Graf said she faces sexist or sexualised comments almost daily while on duty — an experience shared by many of her colleagues across the capital.
The London Ambulance Service (LAS) recorded 462 incidents of sexual abuse against staff between July 2025 and July 2026. These included sexual threats, groping, indecent exposure, explicit remarks and sexual violence.
Nearly a third of the reports came from call handlers who were abused over the phone while trying to help patients.
“It has to stop”
Jason Killens, chief executive of London Ambulance Service, said: “We show up when London needs us. In return, we are asking Londoners to show some respect.”
“Sexual violence, comments, threats, touching and exposure are abuse.”
“This disgusting behaviour disrupts emergency care, can take ambulance crews off the road and our call handlers away from their station, which may delay help reaching other patients.”
“It has to stop.”
“If you see such behaviour, call it out.”
The wider picture
The 462 reported incidents in a single year paint a stark picture of what ambulance staff face. Sexual abuse of emergency workers is not a minor workplace irritation — it has real consequences for the delivery of emergency care.
When a paramedic is assaulted, the immediate impact is on that individual. But the ripple effects extend further: crews taken off the road, call handlers pulled from their stations, and delayed responses for other patients who need urgent help.
The fact that nearly a third of reports came from call handlers — abused over the phone while trying to help — shows the problem extends beyond face-to-face encounters. Abuse does not require physical proximity.
Assaults on emergency workers
Assaulting an emergency worker is a specific criminal offence in England and Wales, carrying tougher penalties than common assault. The law was introduced in recognition of the particular vulnerability of those who run towards danger while others run away.
Sexual assault carries its own serious penalties. The 18-week prison sentence in Ms Graf’s case reflects the court’s assessment of the offence’s gravity.
However, many incidents never reach court. The daily drumbeat of sexist comments and sexualised remarks that Ms Graf describes rarely results in prosecution — yet their cumulative effect on staff wellbeing and retention is significant.
What LAS is doing
The London Ambulance Service has been working to support staff who experience abuse, including through reporting mechanisms and welfare support.
Mr Killens’ direct appeal to Londoners — “show some respect” — reflects a service that feels its staff are not getting the basic consideration they deserve from the public they serve.
The service is also encouraging bystanders to intervene: “If you see such behaviour, call it out.”
A call for change
Ms Graf’s decision to speak publicly is itself significant. Many victims of workplace sexual assault stay silent, fearing they will not be believed or that speaking out will harm their careers.
By putting her name to her experience, she has given a human face to the 462 incidents recorded in a year — each one representing a real person trying to do their job.
Her message is simple: “This is not harmless behaviour and it should not be brushed off.”
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