Leader of Seanad tells of horror at Alzheimer’s patient rape

LEADER of the Seanad Regina Doherty has expressed her horror about a case in which a healthcare worker raped a patient in her 70s who has Alzheimer’s.

Ms Doherty took to Twitter to comment that the man should “be castrated and never see the light of day again”.

The nursing home employee was given an 11-year prison sentence after admitting to the rape of the woman.

The man had previously worked in healthcare for 15 years before he attacked the patient and Mr Justice Paul Mcdermott yesterday described his crime as “an egregious breach of trust by a qualified and experienced healthcare worker”.

In relation to the man’s 11-year prison sentence, former Social Protection Minister Ms Doherty (below) commented on Twitter: “I know this probably isn’t politically correct but this man should be castrated and never see the light of day again.”

The victim of the attack was found in a distressed state in her bedroom after the incident occurred in the early hours of April 3.

CCTV footage showed the healthcare worker entering and leaving the victim’s nursing home bedroom at around 3am on that morning.

The woman was reported to be upset but coherent and gardai arrested the man, who in his 50s, 11 days after her attack.

The man first denied the attack but after his DNA matched that of a sample found on the victim, he pleaded guilty to her rape.

He had no previous convictions.

Speaking in the Central Criminal Court, the woman’s daughter said that their mother’s attacker “single-handedly destroyed our mam’s life”.

Mr Justice Paul Mcdermott described the effect on the victim as “devastating”.

The victim now faces feelings of “depression, suicidal thoughts, nightmares and a lack of safety,” he said.

The woman’s daughter said that her family could not even hug her mother after the incident.

“We always said we will dread the day she loses her memory, but now one day we hope she wakes up and doesn’t remember,” she said.