ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Elderly Victim Resided In Care Facility
Suspect Employed As Facility Chaplain
Protecting Older Loved Ones
U.S. Department of Justice statistics show that 20,000 incidents of sexual abuse, assault and rape in nursing homes have been reported to the authorities over the last two decades, and the numbers are increasing year by year. This is only part of the horrific story, however, as sexual abuse, like other forms of elder abuse in nursing homes, is often underreported. This can be due to the social stigma around sexual assault, or fear of retribution by the perpetrator. Also, residents with mental or physical disabilities may not be able to recount their experience and tell the authorities; Alzheimer’s sufferers and others with extreme dementia may have no memory at all and may have lost the ability to speak. Rape and other forms of sexual assault are crimes and also criminal acts of physical elder abuse leading the suspect to further criminal charges and also supporting claims for civil liability against the actor and those who supervise him or her. Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15610.63 (definition of physical elder abuse includes any type of sexual assault). Evans Law Firm. Inc. represents victims of sexual assault or other abuse in nursing homes, and their families, and pursues all persons responsible, including owners, administrators and managers including awards of attorneys’ fees and costs for bringing the lawsuit. Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15657. Call us today at (415)441-8669 if any senior loved one has suffered any kind of elder abuse in Santa Clara County or elsewhere in California. Our toll-free number is 1-888-50EVANS (888-503-8267).
Caregiver Arrested For Sexual Assault
In one recently reported case,[1] an individual was arrested in connection with a sexual assault investigation conducted by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Sexual and Elder Abuse Bureau (SEAB). The victim, an elderly female, resided at a care facility where the arrested man was employed as a hospice chaplain at the time of the assault. The man was booked on four counts of Sexual Battery Against a Person who is Seriously Disabled or Medically Incapacitated. The charges are pending. Authorities say the man had access to numerous other potential victims in his role as a hospice chaplain. Detectives are urging anyone with information about this case, or who may have been a victim or has family members or loved ones who had contact with the man, to contact the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Sexual and Elder Abuse Bureau at (916) 874-5070.
Protecting Your Older Loved Ones From Sexual Abuse
If you have any suspicions that a loved one in a nursing home is suffering any kind of abuse, alert the home’s administrator and the authorities. 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. You can read more about the use of surveillance cameras elsewhere on our website: https://www.evanslaw.com/san-francisco-nursing-home-abuse-attorney-surveillance-cameras-in-nursing-home-rooms/.
Contact Us
Ingrid M. Evans represents victims of financial elder abuse, and their families and heirs, in Santa Clara County or elsewhere in California. If you need help, call us today at 415-441-8669 or toll free at 1-888-50EVANS (888-503-8267).or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. Ingrid will pursue all remedies available against the agent, including attorneys’ fees and expenses for the older person required to bring an action based on the agent’s wrongful conduct.
[1] Evans Law Firm, Inc. was not involved in the case in any way.
