A male nurse has been arrested in Arizona for the s*xual assault of a woman who gave birth while in a long-term vegetative state, police in the US state said Wednesday.
The 29-year-old victim — who police said “was not in a position to give consent†— gave birth late last month to a baby boy, sparking an investigation.
The suspect’s DNA was matched to that of the baby, leading to the arrest, according to police.
The suspect — identified as Nathan Sutherland, age 36 — faces charges of one count of s*xual assault and one count of vulnerable adult abuse, Phoenix police Sergeant Tommy Thompson told a news conference.
Sutherland is a “licensed practical nurse who was responsible for providing care to the victim during this time the s*xual assault occurred,†Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said.
The police chief said she had not encountered a similar case during 30 years in law enforcement.
The victim’s family said in a statement carried by US media that she “has significant intellectual disabilities as a result of seizures very early in her childhood.â€
The victim “does not speak but has some ability to move her limbs, head and neck†and “responds to sound and is able to make facial gestures,†the statement said.
“The baby, I am told, is doing good,†said Thompson.
“We can’t always choose how we come into this life, but what we can choose to do as a community is love this child, and that’s what we have the opportunity to do,†he said.
A lawyer for the woman’s family has said the infant “has been born into a loving family and will be well cared for,†according to The New York Times.
The CEO of the nursing facility resigned following the scandal, according to a statement sent to media.
“This is a facility that you should be safe in and someone wasn’t,†Phoenix Mayor Thelda Williams said.
AFP
Source:
www.channelstv.com/2019/01/23/nurse-arrested-for-impregnating-woman-in-vegetative-state/
