Gals sexually abused by ICU nurse sue Colorado clinic

DENVER (AP) — Two girls who say a nurse sexually assaulted them when they were unconscious in intensive care submitted a lawsuit Tuesday versus the Colorado hospital wherever they ended up staying taken care of, alleging the hospital’s administration did not do plenty of to prevent the abuse.

The lawsuit — which is proposed as a class action accommodate — alleges St. Mary’s Clinic in Grand Junction and SCL Overall health and Intermountain Health care, the businesses that ran the healthcare facility, realized or ought to have acknowledged about the steps of the nurse, Christopher Lambros, who has been arrested and charged with sexual assault. Police say Lambros would history himself sexually abusing woman sufferers when they were unconscious or incapacitated.

In accordance to his arrest affidavit, on a day in June when Lambros created 5 films of himself abusing a patient, he whispered to the camera saying “don’t at any time get rid of these videos” and “you need to keep them endlessly … this is your Dexter selection.”

The lawsuit claims he was referencing the tv show “Dexter,” in which the most important character is a serial killer, and suggests the comment displays he preserved a collection of images or videos of his victims.

In accordance to courtroom files, prosecutors have determined 3 individuals who they believe that had been assaulted by Lambros and feel a fourth individual who has not been determined however was assaulted in 2016. Lambros started operating at St. Mary’s in 2012, according to the lawsuit.

Lambros’ lawyer, Scott Burrill, did not return a get in touch with or electronic mail in search of comment.

In a statement, St. Mary’s explained it is absolutely cooperating in the investigation into Lambros but declined comment on the lawsuit.

“We cannot give more information about this make any difference out of regard for affected individual privateness,” it mentioned.

Siddhartha Rathod, one of the lawyers for the girls who submitted the lawsuit, said they are the exact females Lambros is billed with assaulting. He mentioned the third target who has been discovered has because died.

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As component of the legal case, prosecutors have advised his clients that investigators recovered 4 terabytes of data as evidence and are nonetheless investigating how numerous people today have been assaulted, Rathod stated. He stated portion of the reason the accommodate is getting submitted is to persuade any other possible victims to arrive forward.

“This is about public safety and about hospitals making certain that their people are not only safe and sound but treated with dignity and regard,” he stated.

In statement, District Attorney Dan Rubenstein declined to remark on the evidence and what it could reveal. He famous that the two the women’s legal professionals and hospital reps have been communicating with prosecutors as they try out to navigate the “complicated situation” of preserving patient privacy rules and having facts wanted to prosecute the criminal situation.

“We can not remark on what proof we have, and also are not able to speculate on what we may well come across,” he stated.

A person of the women in the lawsuit claimed she was sexually abused as a kid and that she is angry, nervous and frustrated immediately after remaining victimized yet again. She mentioned she has not received even an apology from the hospital but she’s nonetheless charged $905 each and every month from her lender account below a payment approach to pay back the bill for her clinic keep. She also gets normal email and a textual content reminders of the debit.

“It’s a slap in the experience,” she reported.

The Linked Push commonly does not detect folks who say they have been sexually assaulted.