Denver — Two girls who say a male nurse sexually assaulted them whereas they had been unconscious in intensive care filed a lawsuit Tuesday in opposition to the Colorado hospital the place they had been being handled, alleging the hospital’s administration did not do sufficient to stop the abuse.
The lawsuit – which is proposed as a category motion go well with – alleges St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction and SCL Health and Intermountain Healthcare, the businesses that ran the hospital, knew or ought to have recognized concerning the actions of the nurse, Christopher Lambros, who has been arrested and charged with sexual assault. Police say Lambros would file himself sexually abusing feminine sufferers whereas they had been unconscious or incapacitated.
In at the least one occasion, stories CBS Colorado, Lambros was allegedly caught taking a selfie of himself with an unconscious feminine affected person feminine affected person whose robe had been pulled up, exposing her torso.
According to his arrest affidavit, on a day in June when Lambros made 5 movies of himself abusing a affected person, he whispered to the digicam saying “don’t ever get rid of these videos” and “you need to keep them forever … this is your Dexter collection.”
The lawsuit claims he was referencing the tv present “Dexter,” wherein the principle character is a serial killer, and says the remark exhibits he maintained a group of photographs or movies of his victims.
According to courtroom paperwork, prosecutors have recognized three individuals who they consider had been assaulted by Lambros and assume a fourth one who has not been recognized but was assaulted in 2016. Lambros started working at St. Mary’s in 2012, in keeping with the lawsuit.
Lambros’ lawyer, Scott Burrill, didn’t return a name or e mail looking for remark.
In an announcement, St. Mary’s stated it’s absolutely cooperating within the investigation into Lambros however declined touch upon the lawsuit. “We cannot offer further details about this matter out of respect for patient privacy,” it stated.
Siddhartha Rathod, one of many legal professionals for the ladies who filed the lawsuit, stated they’re the identical girls Lambros is charged with assaulting. He stated the third sufferer who has been recognized has since died.
As a part of the felony case, prosecutors have informed his purchasers that investigators recovered 4 terabytes of knowledge as proof and are nonetheless investigating how many individuals had been assaulted, Rathod stated. He stated a part of the rationale the go well with is being filed is to encourage every other potential victims to return ahead.
“This is about public safety and about hospitals ensuring that their patients are not only safe but treated with dignity and respect,” he stated.
According to CBS Colorado, his agency stated in a news launch that the 4 terabytes of knowledge quantity to “approximately 700,000 cellphone photos or 65,000 hours of cellphone videos” and the agency believes there may very well be a decade of potential victims.
In assertion, District Attorney Dan Rubenstein declined to touch upon the proof and what it might reveal. He famous that each the ladies’s legal professionals and hospital representatives have been speaking with prosecutors as they attempt to navigate the “complicated situation” of defending affected person privateness legal guidelines and getting data wanted to prosecute the felony case.
“We cannot comment on what evidence we have, and also cannot speculate on what we may find,” he stated.
One of the ladies within the lawsuit stated she was sexually abused as a baby and that she is indignant, anxious and depressed after being victimized once more. She stated she has not acquired even an apology from the hospital however she’s nonetheless charged $905 every month from her checking account below a fee plan to pay the invoice for her hospital keep. She additionally will get common e mail and a textual content reminders of the debit.
“It’s a slap in the face,” she stated.
CBS News and The Associated Press usually do not determine individuals who say they’ve been sexually assaulted.