Friday, 29 March, 2024
HomeMedico-LegalStaffer accused of assault was 'following example of other nurses'

Staffer accused of assault was 'following example of other nurses'

Former Lily Kirchmann’s staff member Tshibangu Kolonji told the East London Regional Court he assaulted Hope Shepherd because other nursing staff in the upmarket retirement home were doing it too.

The Times reports that the 21-year-old is on trial on charges of contravening the Older Persons Act of 2006 and assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

He was caught on a hidden camera set up in a TV set placed in Shepherd’s room by her daughter‚ Bernice Robertson. The alleged assault took place on 30 January‚ 2015.

The report says he appeared in the East London Regional Court where he made the startling claim in front of Regional Court 4 magistrate Sadia Jacobs.

The case was postponed to 5 May for judgment.

 

This case follows the eight-year prison sentence given to former caregiver at the home‚ Ncediswa Mkenkcele‚ for assaults on Shepherd.

East London Regional Court Magistrate Ignatius Kitching was quoted in The Times as saying that a correctional service supervision sentence "will be inappropriately lenient" and that Mkenkcele‚ who he found not to have been remorseful‚ must go straight to jail.

He handed her a total of 15 years imprisonment on five counts of assault‚ but because the sentences will run concurrently‚ Kitching ordered that Mkenkcele serve at least eight years.

[link url="http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2017/04/25/Old-age-home-staffer-admits-to-assault1"]The Times report[/link]
[link url="https://www.medicalbrief.co.za/archives/east-london-nurse-found-guilty-secretly-filmed-abusing-84-year-old-woman/"]Earlier MedicalBrief report[/link]

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