THE Ministry of Defence and the General Medical Council have been challenged over their knowledge of  abusive medical experiments at Pengethley Manor hotel.

Animal rights organization PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) UK has also asked whether the hotel’s former owner  John Hagmann - a now disgraced former US military doctor turned specialist contractor – and his company Deployment Medicine International (DMI) received any UK government funding or contracts. 

Work by PETA in the USA raising allegations of  animal abuse on DMI courses helped make a case that saw  Hagmann, 59, have his medical licence withdrawn.

PETA presented evidence of live pigs being shot in the face with shotguns, stabbed,  having their chests cut open and hearts removed and intestines ripped out.

Now, PETA U.K. said that it filed a complaint with the General Medical Council and was making formal enquiries of the Ministry of Defence, about whether it knew of the long standing allegations around Hagmann and confirmation of  any UK government funding or contracts DMI may have received.

Medical investigators in the USA found soldiers were subjected to “abusive” medical experiments at Pengethley Manor when it was used by DMI for combat trauma training.

The hotel was one of the “training facilities” run by Hagmann to be named in allegations of  unethical - even macabre - practice.

Hagmann, 59, has had his medical licence withdrawn by the Virginia Board of Medicine in the USA.

 The board assessed evidence alleging “unethical procedures”  by Hagmann, a specialist in battlefield trauma, at  his “training facilities” including Pengethley Manor.

Other facilities named were in the US states of Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland and Colorado.

US army medical students testified to the hearing that Hagmann had subjected them to dangerous experiments and sexual exploitation with hallucinogenic medications, alcohol, blood-draining demonstrations and invasive physical exams.

At a suspension hearing in March, the board concluded that Hagmann had used students “for personal gain and sexual gratification.”

This month, the Virginia Medical Board unanimously withdrew Dr Hagmann’s medical licence having suspended his licence in March.

Ex Med, the medical supplies and training company now based at Pengethley Manor, has confirmed that it has no connection with Hagmann or DMI, which was dissolved in the UK in July last year with Hagmann listed as director.

Pengethley Manor was a registered office for DMI. Listed as previous offices were an address in Blackfriars Street, Hereford, and a suite at Hereford House, Offa Street, Hereford.

The decision to withdraw Hagmann’s licence following suspension was unanimous.

 The board heard allegations of Hagmann carrying out “macabre” experiments on US military students taking his courses.

One course referenced was at Pengethley and, according to evidence, involved participants performing “invasive procedures” on each other and the administration of drugs including ketamine and midzolam.

The Board was told that Hagmann had inappropriately provided students with drugs and subjected them to unethical procedures.

Hagmann was not present at the hearing which heard he was “overseas”.

He has previously denied reports that he had carried out “sexually intimate” examinations on students and defended other procedures as complying with “standard practices” for training medical students.

After 20 years with the US army as a specialist in emergency medicine, Hagmann retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and co-author of an influential combat treatment manual to set up DMI - also known as Deployment Medicine Consultants.

His experience of battlefield trauma and medical care secured US government contracts to train military personnel – particularly special forces units.

DMI has since been banned from US government contracting, from which it was said to have earned over $10 million since 2008.