CAMPAIGNERS expressed outrage today following reports that a nonverbal autistic woman with a learning disability was inappropriately detained in a mental health hospital for 45 years.

The woman, named Kasibba to protect her identity, is thought to have been trafficked from Sierra Leone, the BBC reported.

She previously lived in a children’s home, but that placement broke down and, aged seven, she was moved into the hospital.

She's believed to have spent 25 years of her time there in solitary confinement.

A team of health and social care professionals embarked on a six-year battle to release her, the BBC said. The Court of Protection finally signed off her release in 2022.

Tim Nicholls from the National Autistic Society said: “She has paid the highest price because of an outdated law which still treats autism as a mental health condition and an abject failure to meet autistic people’s needs.

“Kasibba’s tragic story highlights how important it is that the government’s new Mental Health Bill is passed and brought into force as soon as possible, with an immediate plan to make sure people get the support they need in the community.”