Last spring, 84-year-old Elsa was raped by a man working in home care in Uppsala. Despite earlier reports of sexual abuse, the man was allowed to continue working, and the case is part of a growing scandal in which several similar cases have come to light.
Elsa is now coming forward to talk about the incident and is strongly criticizing the municipality.
– It feels important to show that this has happened to a human being. It feels like the municipality has forgotten about it, Elsa tells Uppsala Nya Tidning (UNT).
It was in the spring of 2024 that Elsa was raped by the man who worked in her home. She describes how she had previously alerted a manager in the home care service that the same man had exposed himself to her as early as the fall of 2023, but that he was allowed to continue working despite this.
– I was subjected to an unprecedented rape, and no one – no one cared about it in the municipality or home care, says Elsa.
After UNT’s reporting, it has emerged that the same manager also failed to handle another case. The woman, known in the media as “Siv”, was allegedly subjected to several sexual assaults by three different home care employees.
Despite the seriousness of the situation, her case was also neglected when the manager chose to go on vacation without arranging a meeting with “Siv”.
Elsa, som nu träder fram med sitt riktiga namn, blev våldtagen av en man från hemtjänsten pic.twitter.com/0l5xmUg88E
— Natalie Norea Burea (@NatalieBurea) November 26, 2024
Translation: Elsa, who is now coming forward with her real name, was raped by a man from the home care service.
Perpetrator previously reported for sexual assault
The perpetrator who raped Elsa is also identified as a person with previous reports of sexual abuse in his previous job in home care. However, this did not prevent him from being employed by Uppsala municipality’s home care service.
Elsa expresses strong disappointment with the municipality’s actions, which she believes have not shown much willingness to take responsibility. She has neither been consulted in the municipality’s investigation nor been given access to its conclusions.
– I would feel that I still have my human dignity if they had just apologized, says Elsa, adding that she herself has had to pay for psychological help and medical travel.
At the same time, the municipality has paid out SEK 36,150 in crisis support to the staff. The prosecutor in charge has also been forced to inform Elsa that the investigation has been closed due to lack of supporting evidence.
Polisen lägger ner utredningen om våldtäkt mot Elsa pic.twitter.com/HGpK63tOjM
— Natalie Norea Burea (@NatalieBurea) November 26, 2024
Translation: Police close investigation into rape of Elsa.
Home care manager reported to the police
Elsa’s granddaughter, Mimmi, has now reported the home care manager to the police for misconduct: – It’s absolutely terrible. They would have come so far with an apology, Mimmi says to UNT.
The municipality’s own investigations, which have been sent to the Swedish Care Inspectorate (Ivo), show that serious misconduct has occurred. However, the municipality has not offered Elsa an apology or acknowledged its responsibility in the media. Instead, they refer to the confidentiality of individual cases.
– But there is one person at the municipality who has been good. The assistance officer, Tobias. He has cared, says Elsa.
Thanks to Elsa and her daughter Mimmi, the municipality has been forced to reform elderly care.
Politicians have moved at record speed to introduce criminal record checks for new recruits. New technologies will give older people access to the name and picture of the home care worker who visits them, and managers will be responsible for fewer staff to improve supervision.
– Maybe I can lead the way and take on the shame of other women so that they also dare to speak up, concludes Elsa.
