A former Hacienda Healthcare employee has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a women who has spent the last decade in a vegetative state.
In December 2018, a patient at the network's long-term care facility in Phoenix, Arizona, gave birth to a baby boy. Police were immediately called in to investigate, because the woman, who was 29 at the time and had been at the home for years, had been in a vegetative state since she was 3 years old. Therefore, she could not have possibly consented to sexual activity. She could not even communicate that she was pregnant or in labor, with medical professionals discovering the fact quickly enough to get her baby out safely.
Employees at the facility didn't know the woman was pregnant until she was close to giving birth. Hacienda Healthcare cooperated with investigators and learned that Nathan Sutherland, a male nurse at the facility, was responsible for the abuse.
Sutherland was arrested in January 2019 following an investigation into the matter. He worked at Hacienda as a licensed practical nurse. He voluntarily surrendered his license to the Arizona State Board of Nursing following the arrest.
The arrest led to a shakeup at Hacienda Healthcare. The CEO resigned. One doctor who oversaw the victim's care resigned, while another was suspended following an internal review.
The victim's family was assured that the victim, who had been at the facility since she was a toddler, was told only female health care workers would be involved in their daughter's care. They have sued the state of Arizona for being negligent in their oversight of the facility, which the state settled for $7.5 million. Hacienda Healthcare also settled with the family for $15 million.
"After more than 2-1/2 years, all of us at Hacienda Healthcare are relieved that Nathan Sutherland has finally pleaded guilty to his awful offenses," the group said in a statement following the guilty plea.
"We have cooperated in every way possible with law enforcement and investigators — and now we hope the judge will sentence Sutherland appropriately given the severity of his crimes. As ever, our hearts are with the victim and her family. May these final steps in the legal process help them find peace."
Sutherland now awaits sentencing. The sentencing range, as per the plea agreement, is 5.25 to 10 years for count one, sexual assault, and lifetime probation for count two, vulnerable adult abuse.
