A resident of the Peace Villa long-term care home in Fort St. John was left shaken and on edge after she was allegedly sexually assaulted.
The 54-year-old victim was placed in the facility by her daughter, Amber McGill, after being diagnosed with Huntington’s disease.
McGill says she was told her mother was sexually assaulted in her room on February 13, adding caretakers found her mother and another male resident locked in her room.
“I didn’t really know what to think at first,” she said. “The more it sank in after I got off the phone, the more I realized exactly how bad it was.”
McGill says she was present when her mother was tested by medical staff after the alleged incident. She recalls her mother had internal tears, as well as bruises and lacerations on her body.
“Some sort of justice needs to happen. She needs some sort of closure, hopefully before she dies, and somebody needs to be held accountable,” the daughter said.
The situation has raised questions about how the male suspect could access the victim’s room unnoticed.
McGill says when she visits her mother, she often has difficulty finding nurses, adding it sometimes takes up to 30 minutes for someone to answer the call button in her mother’s room.
“A lot of the time, I go in there and there’s literally nobody around. It is silent in there,” she said.
The victim’s nightmare did not end there. McGill says the male suspect, who is said to be suffering from dementia, remained at the care facility for weeks after the alleged events.
McGill realized the suspect was still living in Peace Villa two weeks later when Northern Health sent an email to the families of resident informing them of an incident involving “harmful actions.”
The email did not mention a sexual assault, but said, “We have strong measures in place to ensure residents are safe, supported, and that all of their care needs continue to be met.”
Conditions were put in place restricting what the suspect could do within the care home.
Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy says he was horrified when he first heard the story. “If there is somebody committing crimes like that, they shouldn’t be allowed anywhere close,” he said.
Kealy said he contacted Northern Health right away to tell them the victim’s safety is paramount. He says the situation is complicated because both individuals need long-term care, but the suspect should have been moved sooner.
The male suspect has now been moved to a psychiatric hospital in the Lower Mainland.
Northern Health told CJDC-TV News in a statement it is working to support the resident and their family through this difficult experience.
“Northern Health takes the safety and security of residents in care at our facilities or those of licensed facilities very seriously,” the health authority said. “In response to any incidents and/or violence in our facilities, immediate steps are taken to ensure resident safety including enhanced monitoring, additional staffing and security supports.
Mounties say the male has not been charged, but a police investigation is underway.
McGill says she is sharing her story in hopes for better care for vulnerable residents. “Nobody should be worrying about what’s going to happen to their family members when they’re put into a care home,” she said.