Case of alleged sexual abuse in Bellvitge: the patient describes the assaults and the orderly denies the facts

BarcelonaThe patient at Bellvitge Hospital with anorexia who accused a hospital orderly of abuse has reaffirmed her account of the various episodes of sexual assault she claims to have suffered. She did so this Monday during the first and last session of the trial held at the Barcelona Provincial Court. The orderly, sitting in the dock, denied the allegations and stated that he never had any physical contact with the patient, who was admitted to the eating disorder unit at Bellvitge, a center of the Catalan Health Institute (ICS) of the Generalitat of Catalonia. At the end of the trial, the prosecution requested a nine-year prison sentence for the orderly, a request that the private prosecution, representing the complainant, increased to ten years. The defense requested the defendant's acquittal. The ICS representative also denied any wrongdoing.

As reported this Sunday by the ARAThe complainant, a nurse, was hospitalized at this facility from June 22, 2020, to July 4 of the same year. In her statement, she explained how she was medicated at the time and unable to prevent the abuse, which she alleges was repeated. She stated that she would become completely paralyzed. The assaults she alleges began with a kiss on the lips but escalated to touching and penetration. The accused, on the other hand, stated that he was never in her room for more than two minutes. He also explained that the woman drew him a picture, something she herself also described as an attempt to illustrate that the orderly initially gained her trust. Both the prosecutor and the private prosecution emphasized the consistency of the complainant's account, while the defense argued that it contained contradictions.

Compatible with "lived memories"

During the trial, two forensic experts who conducted a psychological analysis of the patient also testified. They concluded that her account was consistent with vivid memories and that her cognitive abilities were unaffected. They also stated that she did not appear to be acting out of revenge and that it was very difficult for her to take the step of reporting the abuse. The psychiatrist who treated her at the time of the events also testified that the patient did not experience hallucinations. This professional admitted that the patient explained to her that she was being abused and that she recommended filing an internal complaint, which the complainant ultimately did. In this regard, the prosecutor lamented the actions of the healthcare center. He questioned why an investigation was not opened and why the matter was not taken seriously. In fact, a staff member who testified admitted that the patient had told him she was being abused and that he did nothing. The complainant explained that she was forced to send letters in the laundry hamper so that her mother would read them and become aware of the situation. Finally, she filed a complaint with the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) after being discharged from the hospital. The hospital took the case to the Public Prosecutor's Office, but only after the patient had already filed her complaint.

Keep working

The defendant was suspended from his job for six months, but later returned to work. Between 2024 and last year, he was in charge of the orderlies' unit in the emergency department of Bellvitge Hospital, where he has worked for nine years. His disciplinary proceedings are currently suspended pending the outcome of the legal case. Several employees from the unit have also testified before the Barcelona Provincial Court. Most focused on highlighting the patient's difficult nature, stating that she complained constantly. In fact, they affirmed that on more than one occasion she had said she just wanted to leave. The prosecutor lamented that the security camera footage would have been crucial in determining the nature of these events, but it was deleted after 15 days. The case has now reached a verdict.