Isha Sesay
A MAN has been arrested after allegedly raping a 79-year-old disabled woman with Alzheimer’s Disease.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of February 26 in a room at Palma’s Bonanova Nursing Home.
The 68-year-old defendant, who also lives at the care home, was caught by a nursing assistant sexually assaulting the resident, investigators reported.
They state that the woman was unaware of what was happening to her and not able to defend herself due to her condition.
Staff immediately contacted the victim’s daughter to tell her what had happened, who in turn filed a complaint at the police station for the alleged sexual abuse of her mother.
The Family and Women’s Unit (UFAM) of the Policia Nacional took charge of the investigation, taking a statement from the nursing assistant to clarify the facts.
The man was subsequently arrested on Tuesday where he has been charged with a crime of sexual abuse.
Police said that when the man was remanded in custody he admitted the crime and said: “I am very sorry. I will not do it again.”
He has since been released from jail with investigators stating that they have taken security measures to prevent him from coming into contact with the victim.
It is understood that the man suffers from a psychological disorder and the police are waiting for the results of a mental health evaluation which was conducted yesterday.
In the last year, reports of violence and sexual abuse have plagued the state-owned Bonanova Nursing Home.
In September, a 27-year-old employee was accused of raping a 94-year-old resident.
After suffering an anxiety crisis and admitting himself into Son Espases Hospital, he told a doctor: “I did very bad things to a woman.”
The man has since denied the attack, only acknowledging in a statement that he had ‘masturbated on top of her when he was changing her clothes.’
In October, an 85-year-old resident was arrested after he stabbed his roommate during an argument.
Later that month, an 84-year-old man died after falling from the fourth floor of the nursing home.
The Amigos de los Lazos Grises Association later condemned the series of events, demanding that the Mallorcan Institute of Social Affairs takes actions to safeguard the elderly.
“The management is disastrous and lacks humanity, sensitivity and empathy towards the hundreds of older people who live with violence, poor health care, repeated outbreaks of scabies and numerous falls,” said President Maria Torres.
The Minister of Social Affairs, Javier de Juan, had released a statement at the end of last year stressing that measures would be taken to ensure that such incidents would not happen again.
“An individual case cannot overshadow all the excellent work that is done every day in the care of our elderly citizens.
“One of our proposals to prevent abuse will be to ensure residents are always treated by two caregivers at a time,” said Juan.
He did however not provide a time frame of when this measure would be introduced at the nursing home.
