Roger Youd was a Manchester DJ and clerk who, in 1985, became the only known person in the UK to be legally detained in a hospital against his will due to an HIV diagnosis.

Why was he detained at Monsall Hospital?

Medical officials at the time incorrectly believed he posed a severe public health risk, securing a court order under 1984 public health legislation to prevent him from leaving.

Has Manchester City Council apologised?

The council has expressed "profound regret" and called his treatment "unacceptable," but campaigners and his family are still calling for a formal, official apology.

Community

'They will only ever know me as the AIDS man': the story of Manchester's Roger Youd, 40 years on

Roger Youd was detained against his will at Monsall Hospital in 1985 after his HIV diagnosis, the only known case in Britain. Forty years later, his family, the Terrence Higgins Trust and Peter Tatchell are demanding Manchester City Council finally say sorry.

Aisha Khan

10 August 20263 min read

Campaigners demand council apology over 1985 forced hospital detention of Manchester man with HIV

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There's almost nothing left of the hospital now. Turn off Oldham Road, past the industrial units and under the railway line, and you'll find open fields behind metal railings. But roots run deep, and although the buildings are gone, memories and pain endure.

Monsall Hospital is thought to be the only place in Britain where a person living with HIV was detained against their will. Roger Youd was that person.

Born in Flintshire in 1956, Roger moved to Manchester in the early 1980s and became a beloved figure on the city's gay scene: a music fan, avid vinyl collector and DJ at venues including Napoleons on Bloom Street and High Society on Princess Street.

He was diagnosed with HIV in late August 1985, admitted himself to Monsall Hospital, and was then detained under a court order when the council's chief medical officer, Dr Anna Jones, applied under the Public Health Control of Disease Act 1984. "The patient has indicated a wish to leave hospital," Jones told Manchester Magistrates' Court on September 14, 1985. "In the opinion of myself and the consultant, that would be dangerous."

What happened to Roger?

Roger's family, who were visiting him and staying on hospital grounds, say the order was sought without their knowledge. His brother Carlton said: "I was only told about it on the Saturday morning after we returned from town to buy essentials for his stay. I was completely stunned. They pursued the order without sharing their intentions with us, despite our constant presence in the hospital. It has been a betrayal we have had to live with for more than forty years."

Manchester's gay community immediately rallied, holding vocal protests outside the town hall. The Terrence Higgins Trust arranged legal counsel and Roger successfully fought for the order to be lifted at the Court of Appeal on September 24, 1985.

Roger chose to remain at Monsall voluntarily. He died there in December 1985, aged 29.

Carlton recalled: "I do remember, with a clarity, the day I suggested he come and stay with Mum once he was feeling better. He said, 'There's no point, they will only ever know me as the AIDS man.'"

He added: "An apology for my brother is long overdue. His memory will forever be framed by the way he was treated, and that stain on his name and on our lives demands rectification and acknowledgement."

What do campaigners say?

Activist Will Hampson, who documented Roger's case through his podcast AIDS: The Lost Boys of Soho, has launched a petition calling on the council to apologise. "Nobody ever apologised, that is what is ringing in my ears," he said. "You get over the loss and the grief but it's the lack of apology that doesn't give closure."

Richard Angell, chief executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "Our charity condemned the detainment of Roger Youd as outrageous 40 years ago and appointed legal counsel to successfully fight it. Today we stand by this characterisation and support calls for the council to finally apologise."

Peter Tatchell said: "The expression of 'regret' by Manchester City Council is not enough. It should make a full apology. They conspired together to detain a gay man with HIV against his will. Whatever the intention and motive, this was a medically unjustified deprivation of liberty."

What has the council said?

A council spokesperson said: "Mr Youd's treatment was unacceptable and is something we profoundly regret. We acknowledge the distress he and his family went through and we would be happy to meet with family members."

Councillor Pat Karney said: "I was around when the council took this wrong decision. It was a period of hysterical misinformation about AIDS and HIV. I am sorry Roger and his family had to endure this ordeal."

Notably, the council has stopped short of a formal apology.

What about the MEN's own role?

Sarah Lester, editor of the MEN, said: "Our archive contains coverage of Roger's detention that used language and framing that makes deeply uncomfortable reading now. We recognise that our reporting contributed to the stigma and distress experienced by Roger and his family and many others in the gay community. We are sorry for that."

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Roger Youd?: Roger Youd was a Manchester DJ and clerk who, in 1985, became the only known person in the UK to be legally detained in a hospital against his will due to an HIV diagnosis.
Why was he detained at Monsall Hospital?: Medical officials at the time incorrectly believed he posed a severe public health risk, securing a court order under 1984 public health legislation to prevent him from leaving.
Has Manchester City Council apologised?: The council has expressed "profound regret" and called his treatment "unacceptable," but campaigners and his family are still calling for a formal, official apology.