An autistic woman in her 50s was reportedly sexually assaulted and diagnosed with HIV in northern London.
The details were revealed in a report by the Brent Safeguarding Adults Board. The woman, who was identified only as Cassie in the report, was discovered to have HIV and lost her appetite from around 2007.
After a police investigation, they found the disease was sexually transmitted and added she lacked the mental capacity to consent to sexual activity.
A night shift worker abused the woman at the home in Brent, and another five residents may have been assaulted by the same worker between 2006 and 2016, the Mirror reported.
Cassie, also known as “Adult B” in the report, had been in the care of services since she was a child.
From around 2007, she began to suffer not only from a loss in appetite but also rashes, bruising, and teeth problems. Eventually, she was taken to London’s Guy’s Hospital after collapsing at the care home, the Mail reported.
“The board wishes to express its deep and sincere regret to Adult B and her family,” he stated.
The police were not able to collect forensic evidence, meaning that the culprit will likely not be brought to justice.
The investigation into the case was closed in 2017, said London police officials.
“Due to the ten-year period the offense was alleged to have occurred between, no clear suspects could be identified and there were no forensic opportunities available,” a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Service told the Mail. “There are no lines of inquiry that require further examination at this time.”
The home where the woman was reportedly abused, meanwhile, has been shuttered as a result. Five other residents are at new facilities.
“All of the partners on the Safeguarding Adults Board, including the council, have expressed our deep and sincere regret to both Cassie and her family,” a representative for Brent Council told the Mail.
“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 co-operation of their families,” the representative said.
It added that Cassie is now “safe and happy.”
“We continue to monitor her progress regularly as well as maintaining contact with her family. We no longer place any residents in care homes run by this provider,” the Brent Council said.
The safeguarding board worked closely with police, the statement said.
“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,” it added.
Update in Arizona
The report comes just days after a nurse in Arizona was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting an incapacitated woman at a long-term health care facility. The woman gave birth to a child in December 2018.Police said DNA tests were administered, and Sutherland’s DNA positively matched the baby’s DNA.
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