Hospital Worker Allegedly Raped Deaf Mute Psych Patient

A hospital employee is being investigated for allegedly raping a male patient a the shower in the psychiatric unit of Kings County Hospital Center—where a 49-year-old woman died in a waiting room after being repeatedly ignored by staffers. The victim, described in the Daily News as "developmentally disabled, deaf and mute," reported the attack to relatives two weeks ago. After scanning surveillance footage and conducting forensic tests, police are reportedly nearing an arrest.

Last year, the Justice Department released the findings of a year-long investigation of the East Flatbush medical center's psychiatric unit [PDF], which revealed a lengthy record of violence and sexual assault. That study included reports of forced sex acts, brawls that left patients needing surgery, and staffers administering simultaneous injections of medications despite the possibility of overdoses.

The city recently spent $153 million to open a new psychiatric unit to "replace the notorious G Building where deplorable conditions were documented in a federal suit," according to the tabloid. Following the lawsuit, city officials agreed to court-supervised monitoring of the medical center. "This is the most serious incident in the new facility," a source told the paper.