Saddest of the stories that have leaked out of the asylums over the years are the reports of abuse that took place within them, especially sexual abuse. Many of these patients were without family members who visited, cared, or that were alive. This left them defenseless to the medical staff. Often times patients would become pregnant by male orderlies, and many of these travesties were hushed by fellow staff members who feared that these things coming to light might endanger their own jobs. After all how could such things happen unless someone turned a blind eye to them? The worst of all abuse was sometimes patient against patient.