ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Suspect Accused Of Sexual Misconduct At Four Nursing Homes
Advocates See Epidemic Of Sexual Assault In Nursing Homes
Suspect Kept License Despite Initial Complaints
More and more reports of rape and sexual abuse of nursing home residents have surfaced in recent months. The stories are heartbreaking. Some of the victims can’t speak. Some are not believed when they report assault. Some rely on walkers and wheelchairs to leave their beds if they can get out of bed at all. Some have been robbed by dementia of their memories. Sexual assault and rape are crimes and grounds for civil liability of the actor and those responsible. See Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15610.63(e)(sexual assault and rape constitute elder physical abuse). Statistics show that incidents of sexual abuse, assault and rape are up. Since much elder abuse, including sexual elder abuse, goes unreported, incidents of sexual assault and rape are probably greater than we know. Evans Law Firm, Inc. represents victims of sexual assault or other abuse in nursing homes, and pursue all persons responsible, including owners, administrators and managers. Call us today at (415)441-8669 if any senior loved one has suffered any kind of elder abuse here in Contra Costa County or elsewhere in California. Our toll-free number is 1-888-50EVANS (888-503-8267).
Recent Arrest Of Repeat Offender
Authorities recently arrested a nursing home aide accused of at least four incidents of sex crimes over a four-year period at four different nursing homes.[1] Even more troubling according to reports is the fact that the California Department of Public Health learned of the first allegation against the individual four years ago yet did not suspend the suspect’s CNA license as the agency investigated the allegations. “This is perhaps the worst and most horrifying story of serial sexual assault that I have ever heard in the long-term care setting,” said Mike Dark, a lawyer for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform (CANHR). The Department of Public Health reportedly did not revoke the suspect’s license until three years after the first sexual misconduct accusation, and until after he had been accused of sexual misconduct at all four nursing homes that employed him in the intervening years. All of the suspect’s victims were female residents of nursing homes in Southern California, and he is charged with five felony counts and remains in jail pending a trial.
Protecting Loved Ones From Sexual Abuse
If you have a loved one who is about to enter a home, check the facility out on Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare website and the California Department of Public Health website. If there have been citations of abuse against the facility, you can read the citations and find out what was alleged. If your loved one is already a nursing home resident, consider an in-room surveillance camera. Surveillance cameras in a senior’s room are permitted under California law. If suspect any kind of elder abuse of a loved one, including sexual abuse, call Evans Law Firm immediately.
Contact Us
Ingrid M. Evans represents California seniors who have been victims of elder abuse including abuse and neglect or sexual abuse in nursing homes. Call Ingrid at once if you suspect something is wrong. You can reach us at (415) 441-8669, or email us at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. Our toll-free number is 1-888-50EVANS (888-503-8267).
[1] Evans Law Firm, Inc. is not involved in the case in any way.
