They offer a $20 million reward for information about the nurse accused of sexual abuse in a psychiatric hospital in Bogotá

The Metropolitan Police reported that they are offering a reward of up to $20 million leading to the whereabouts of the nursing assistant, Jorge Enrique Pérez Castro, attached to the Mental Health Unit of La Victoria Hospital, which is located in the town of San Cristóbal, south of Bogotá, had abused at least 17 patients psychiatric.

“The police have been accompanying the prosecutor's investigation, we are offering up to $20'000,000 to people who provide information to capture this criminal,” said General Eliécer Camacho, commander of the Bogotá Metropolitan Police.

According to the reports, some of the patients are minors and, in addition, she took advantage of sedation and medication to commit the abuses. The subject waited until his victims were immobilized or asleep and subjected them to different sexual acts.

According to some hospital officials, they had previously reported that this person had inappropriate and strange behavior, but the corresponding decisions had not been taken by the directors, arguing that there was a lack of staff. This situation puts directives in the eye of the hurricane as it is likely that many of the abuses could have been avoided if appropriate measures had been taken earlier.

The Secretariat for Women's Affairs reported that on 1 April it filed a complaint on the case of the 11 possible victims and articulated with the Attorney General's Office, through the local Prosecutor 420, what was necessary to generate the criminal news and speed up the investigation and work of the Judicial Police. At this time, the Women's Bureau will represent two (2) of the victims judicially and will accompany them throughout the process of seeking justice. Likewise, it is attentive to accompany with its legal and psychological services any case that is known and in which the victims or their families so require.

In addition, the Secretariat added that, at this time, both the facts and the number of cases are the subject of investigation by the Office of the Prosecutor General of the Nation as the competent authority.

“Within the framework of the Inspection, Surveillance and Control functions, the District Health Secretariat carries out the corresponding administrative actions aimed at establishing alleged failures in health care, compliance with the standards of qualification and others that fall within the competence of the territorial entity, with full respect for the due process and the applicable legal reserve. Thus, as a result of the verification visits carried out and in view of the evidence of risk in human talent and priority processes, security measures were imposed on 5 April consisting of temporary and preventive closure of the mental health hospitalization service of the La Victoria health services unit”, stated the Secretariat of the Women's.

They also noted their rejection of this situation and stressed that “it will provide the affected persons and their families with the necessary accompaniment, in coordination with the services of the Secretariat for Women. Similarly, the Secretariats of Health and Women will be ready to support the competent authorities during the investigation and ensure that the facts are clarified as soon as possible.”

The District Health Secretariat will carry out verification and follow-up actions for the management of opportunities and improvement in both the public and private network of health service providers.

Keep reading: