Arizona authorities are investigating the rape of a female patient in a vegetative state inside of a nursing facility. According to the reports, the women stunned the hospital staff when she went into labor because no knew she was pregnant.
The victim has been a patient at the Hacienda Skilled Nursing Facility in Phoenix for at least 14, in a vegetative state after a near-drowning accident. That almost killed her.
A nursing facility employee told KPHO In an interview, “None of the staff were aware that she was pregnant until she was pretty much-giving birth.”
The reporter asked Briana Whitney, “How were they alerted to the fact that she was going into labor?” According to the employee she claims, “From what I’ve been told she was moaning. Moreover, they didn’t know what was wrong with her.”
After hearing about the incident, Adult Protective Services said that they didn’t hesitate to enforce health and safety check on every single member of the living facility including other close relatives and doctors.
Law enforcement is actively working side by side with The Arizona Department of Health during their investigations.
In addition to working with police, the state is “reevaluating the state’s contract and regulatory authority as it relates to this facility and have been working closely with state agencies to ensure all necessary safety measures are in place,” Patrick Ptak, a spokesman for the governor, said in a statement.
As stated in the report, the victim required around the clock care and many people had 24/7 access to her room, with little security.
Due to the gruesome incident, Hacienda officials announced a female employee with them must accompany male employees before they can be cleared to enter a female’s patient’s room.
The reports indicate that many workers say the women had no way to defend herself from anything let alone rape, and no way to communicate to doctors that she needed help or was pregnant.
According to the Hacienda website, they claim they provide healthcare services to more than 2,500 people each year. However, would not comment on the issue to the public.
The Arizona Department of Health Services provided the following statement.
“We are aware of this situation and are actively working with local law enforcement in their criminal investigation. Upon learning of the allegation, Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) immediately initiated an onsite complaint investigation to ensure the health and safety of the patients and ensure the facility complies with all state laws and regulations. During this time, the agency has required heightened safety measures be implemented at the facility including increased staff presence during patient interactions, increased monitoring of the patient care areas, and increased security measures concerning visitors at the facility.”
The Arizona Department of Economic Security also released a statement:
“The Department has been made aware of these allegations, and we continue to work fully with the Phoenix Police Department in their ongoing investigation. Upon hearing of these allegations, we immediately dispatched a team to conduct health and safety checks on all members residing at this health care facility, while we will continue to work to ensure the safety of all our members.”
