An elderly woman was subjected to two assaults by two different employees at a special care home for the elderly in Vännäs outside Umeå during the Christmas holidays. On the second occasion, she was raped inside a bathroom.

According to a deviation report, which Samnytt has reviewed, the first assault took place on the morning of the day before Christmas Eve. An employee then performed an so-called intimate shaving on the elderly woman against her will.

“The patient became scared and sad. Trust damaged. In the long term, this may lead to other consequences as the feelings of having experienced something against one’s will can emerge later,” states the report drawn up the same day as the assault.

Lex Sarah Report

It is medically responsible nurse (MAS) Anneli Johansson who is raising the alarm. She speaks with the staff, the acting head of social services Örjan Strandberg, the affected woman, and her relatives.

– On behalf of the board, I have formulated a Lex Sarah notification, Anneli Johansson tells Samnytt.

– As care providers, we are obligated to notify Ivo if we suspect a serious situation. We also conduct Lex Sarah investigations based on the report.

Lex Sarah refers to a section in the Social Services Act, which entails a duty to report suspected misconduct for those working in care operations. The report is sent to the Health and Social Care Inspectorate (Ivo).

Raped in the Bathroom

Only four days after the first assault, it happened again. This time, the same woman was raped by an employee inside a bathroom at the facility. According to a press release from the municipality, it concerned a different employee than at the first incident.

It was the raped woman’s daughter-in-law who raised the alarm on Monday, December 29, two days after the assault.

“The daughter-in-law contacts the nurse, informing about an incident the patient told about on Sunday. The patient has told relatives that she was raped in the bathroom on Saturday evening. Incident occurred earlier the previous week with assault; the patient could distinguish that this was not the same incident she now reports and that it was by a different staff member,” the deviation report states.

After two assaults in less than a week, the victimized woman says she no longer feels safe at the facility.

Suspended With Pay

The two employees accused of subjecting the woman to the assaults have been suspended with retained salary. The reason is that they have not yet been convicted of any crime.

– It’s a suspected crime, emphasizes acting head of social services Örjan Strandberg to Samnytt.

According to the Lex Sarah report, which Samnytt has also reviewed, a total of eight people work in the unit where the assaults occurred: Three assistant nurses, one care assistant, and four care assistants without formal training.

The majority of the staff have worked in the unit for less than two years. The head of social services has now clarified for them what applies regarding “self-determination, consent, and integrity.”