Nurse arrested during the pregnancy of a patient in an American home

A nurse in Arizona was charged with sexual assault following the delivery of a vulnerable patient under her care.

The suspect named Nathan Sutherland, 36, worked at the Hacienda Healthcare Clinic.

The 29-year-old, who had taken care of the clinic since childhood, gave birth on December 29th.

Institutional staff stated at the time not to know that she was pregnant until she entered pregnancy. the manpower.

The child, a boy, is now supported by the patient's family and would be well.

"We can not always choose how we enter this life, but we as a community can choose to love this child," Sergeant Tommy Thompson told reporters.

How was the arrest made?

Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said Mr. Sutherland was identified through "good old-fashioned police work".

After the birth, an investigation was opened into a sexual assault, his condition preventing him from giving his consent.

million. Sutherland submitted a DNA sample under a court order. A test showed that his DNA matches that of the child.

He was charged with a charge of sexual assault and a charge of sexual assault against a vulnerable adult.

"We owed this arrest to the victim," said Chief Williams. "We owe this arrest to the new member of our community, this innocent baby."

Police are also investigating whether Mr. Sutherland assaulted other patients.

It is unknown whether it was an employee or a subcontractor who was working in other facilities.

What Her Family Said

A woman's family lawyer, John Michaels, said she was aware of Mr. Sutherland's arrest without making any comment.

The patient's family described her as "a beloved girl" with "significant intellectual disabilities" caused by seizures in childhood.

million. Michaels told local media: "She has feelings, likes to be read, loves music and is able to respond to people she knows, especially to the family."

Court documents indicate that the woman is "not alert" and requires a "maximum level of care", reported the Arizona Republic.

According to the newspaper. At the medical records presented t an Arizona court, a doctor examined the woman 37 weeks before delivery and found no major changes in her health condition.

What do we know about the suspect?

million. Sutherland is a licensed practitioner. According to the authorities, he was a nurse and worked at the Hacienda Healthcare Health Center since 2011.

At the time of his assault, he was responsible for the care of the woman.

On Wednesday, he appeared in court and was released on bail. only $ 500,000 (£ 382,588) deposit.

His lawyer, David Gregan, described Sutherland as a family man with young children living in Arizona since 1993.

"There is no direct evidence that Mr. Sutherland committed these acts", said Gregan to the press.

"I know at this point that there is DNA, but he will be entitled to his own DNA expert."

Nursing Home Response

In a statement, Hacienda Healthcare stated that it was "troubled beyond words" by the news.

The company stated that it had submitted to Mr. Sutherland "a thorough background check" before starting.

His general manager resigned following the incident.

Earlier this week, the clinic said that one doctor responsible for the care of the woman had resigned, and another was suspended.