Authorities in London say a patient at an independent care facility was diagnosed with HIV after an alleged sexual assault during a lengthy stay between 2006 and 2016.
Court documents identify the victim only as “Cassie,” a woman in her 50s, and determined that she received the diagnosis after she was admitted to the hospital following a 2016 fall. Hospital staff subsequently informed police about the determination, noting that the patient did not have the mental capacity for consensual sex, as reported by the New Zealand Herald.
An investigation uncovered evidence leading to allegations that a care facility worker was responsible for the rape. The alleged victim had been receiving long-term care beginning when she was a child and exhibited a notable downturn beginning in 2007.
The woman’s family believes a night-shift staff member raped her.
Reports show she had a diminished appetite and showed signs of injuries, rashes and hygiene issues. The facility where she had been living has since been shuttered, according to media reports.
RELATED: BUSTED! Male nurse arrested for rape charges after disabled woman gives birth to baby boy
“We can confirm that Cassie is no longer living in a care home managed by the previous provider and the other five residents who lived there with her have also been moved to other homes with the cooperation of their families,” said a spokesperson for the Brent Council, a local borough authority.
The spokesperson went on to say that the council “takes its responsibilities to vulnerable adults very seriously and is continuously working to improve the support we provide to vulnerable adults in Brent, including setting up a team that specifically focuses on reviewing the quality of care and support for individuals in residential placements, and integrating the health and social care learning disability teams into a single team providing holistic support to adults with a learning disability.”
Though police were involved, a source revealed that the probe was concluded in 2017. The lengthy window of time during which the assault could have taken place reportedly makes it impossible to find evidence leading to a suspect.
“Due to the 10-year period the offense was alleged to have occurred between, no clear suspects could be identified and there were no forensic opportunities available,” the police spokesperson said.
[Featured image: video screenshot]
