Care home worker accused of abusing elderly patient was a cleaner working as a carer, court told

A court has been told how a male carer at a Mosta nursing home allegedly injured a female patient’s genitalia during an unconventional washing procedure and was not originally employed as a carer but a cleaner.

The compilation of evidence against 53 year old Goran Pantelic, from Serbia, continued before magistrate Nadine Lia on Friday with several witnesses testifying. Pantelic is accused of, amongst other things, sexual abuse of a vulnerable female patient who was unable defend herself due to medical infirmity.  

Inspector Godwin Scerri testified about his interrogation of Pantelic in the presence of officers from the police Vice Squad. “Pantelic said he wasn’t actually a carer but was a cleaner,” said the inspector, adding that the man confirmed that he had never taken any courses but “had been offered the job and accepted.”

After his arrest, Pantelic told the police that he had just washed the victim’s private parts “inside and out” by inserting two gloved fingers. In a second interview with the police, a few hours later, he had denied using his fingers, however, the Inspector said.

The police investigation uncovered that the victim 69 year-old victim, who suffers from dementia, had soiled herself immediately after being cleaned. Confronted with the suspicion that the motive was not sexual, but anger, Pantelic had confirmed this.

But in his third statement, Pantelic said he had committed the acts to “give her pleasure on her insistence,” and had apologised for having done so.

The police had tried speaking to the victim but because of her acute dementia she could not recall what happened exactly. She is wheelchair bound and dependant on others, said the inspector. “We don’t think she was capable of consenting.” A psychiatrist was appointed by the court to assess this.

Nursing staff at the Central Home in Mosta testified to having found the accused victim in her room. Upon entering one nurse said she noticed a bloodied bedsheet on the floor and a soiled nappy. The witness told the court that the accused remarked that the patient was bleeding. The nurse told them to leave the bedsheet and nappy where they were as she went to inform the residence’s doctor.

The witness told the court that after some 20 minutes, the manager of the home instructed the duty nurse and the assistant nurse to go up to the patient’s room and speak with her. The patient upon being asked what happened pointed said that she “he put his finger inside me” and that it had been painful. Pantelic allegedly told her to be quiet during the abuse. The nurse added that the patient recounted how the care worker had drawn the curtains and locked the door before washing her.

In court on Friday, Inspector Scerri asked the head nurse how intrusive the normal washing procedure was. “Not that intrusive” was the reply.

The residence’s doctor, Nikolai Pace, also testified to having been informed of a patient who was bleeding. The patient, 69, was in fragile health, dependent on her carers for feeding and washing and wheelchair bound.

“The victim has cognitive impairment as a result of dementia,” he said. “Her decision making capacity is very limited,” he said. He had seen the patient many times but for routine ailments, like blood pressure or falls.

Defence lawyer Matthew Xuereb asked how limited the woman’s decision making was. “Her executive function is limited. She has a cognitive impairment,” the doctor said.

Xuereb contested the finding of sufficient prima facie evidence for a bill of indictment to be issued. “I can’t but note that to date…all we heard is hearsay and her doctor saying that the victim has dementia and depression and…no indication as to whether she can or cannot consent.” He lamented that the prosecution had not brought a gynaecologist or psychiatrist to report on the case.

Magistrate Lia ruled that the evidence seen so far was sufficient for her to declare there was sufficient prima facie evidence for Pantelic to be indicted.

Lawyers Matthew Xuereb and Roberto Spiteri appeared for Pantelic.