Compensation for woman raped by care worker
Woman raped by care worker wins compensation.
This article highlights a real-life case of a woman who was raped by a care worker. Lawyer Elizabeth Duncan, helped her achieve justice by making a successful compensation claim that acknowledged her suffering.
Our client, who we will call H for confidentiality reasons, had endured significant challenges and trauma throughout her life and was suffering from severe mental health issues. These led to her being sectioned under the Mental Health Act and admitted to a psychiatric unit. Due to a shortage of NHS hospital beds, she was placed in a private facility funded by the NHS.
During her stay, she was groomed by a Psychiatric Support Worker employed at the facility. Exploiting her vulnerability, sedation, and confusion, the worker manipulated her into believing they were in a romantic relationship. He told H, “I’ve never felt this way about anyone before,” despite her expressing feelings of confusion and discomfort.
When H was transferred to another facility the male care worker visited her, and used “day release” as an excuse to take her out of the facility under the guise of rehabilitation. Upon her discharge, he insisted that H move into his home, where a sexual relationship began.
A social worker eventually reported the situation to the company operating the facility, and the police were also informed. The worker was suspended, but his manipulative control over H was so strong that he persuaded her to attend his disciplinary hearing to support him. Ultimately, his employment was terminated.
Struggling to process what had happened and feeling ignored and devalued by the system, H reached out to Elizabeth Duncan, a specialist abuse lawyer, for help.
Elizabeth carefully reviewed the case and agreed to represent H on a No Win, No Fee basis. The law can hold employers responsible for wrongful acts committed by their employees during the course of their employment. Based on this principle, Elizabeth pursued a claim against the company operating the hospital.
The company denied liability, arguing that the care worker’s actions occurred after H’s discharge and that it was not connected to his employment. Elizabeth strongly contested this, highlighting the short timeframe between the discharge and the escalation of the abuse, as well as the grooming that had occurred during H’s time in the facility.
To strengthen the case, Elizabeth obtained medical evidence documenting the psychological impact of the sexual abuse.
As the trial approached, the case was resolved out of court. Receiving her compensation H said that she would be forever grateful for Elizabeth’s help and that the money would assist her on her road to recovery.
If you or a loved one has been raped by a care worker or abused in hospital then Elizabeth is here to provide the support and guidance you need.
You deserve justice, so let us help you take the first step toward healing.
