HORRIFIC: Group home worker beat autistic resident with shower rod, say police

The resident couldn’t even cry for help

A staff worker at a Needham, Massachusetts, group home for people with developmental disabilities is accused of beating a 22-year-old with a shower curtain pole.

Patricia Afriyie-Yeboah, 32, of Stoughton, was arraigned Thursday on charges of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon and assault and battery on a disabled person in connection with the April 18 incident. WFXT reported that investigators claimed the victim wasn’t seriously injured.

The alleged abuse was abuse was caught on tape; video captured the 22-year-old—who is also non-verbal— “cowering in the corner of a room” as the suspect stood over him with a pole.

Employees at The Charles River Center reported a disabled person being abused to police on April 19. Though the Sharon Patch revealed that the group home immediately suspended Afriyie-Yeboah after learning about the incident, she was fired following her arrest on Wednesday night, according to WFXT.

In a written statement obtained by the station, The Charles River Center said that they are “saddened” by this “difficult situation” and that the home carries out a “rigorous background check of all employees and provides extensive training in caring for individuals with developmental disabilities.”

Founded by parents of children with special needs, The Charles River Center serves 950 families throughout Massachusetts, according to their website.

“The investigation is ongoing and management at the group home has been cooperative with our investigation,” the Sharon Police Department wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday.

The Enterprise reported that the 32-year-old is due back in Stoughton District Court for a hearing on May 16.

 

[Featured Image: Sharon Police Department]