Carrington Care say they had no prior knowledge of allegations seven elderly residents at their Grasmere aged care facility [pictured above] were sexually assaulted in August last year.
A man and a woman have been charged over the allegations.
Yesterday, April 24, Carrington Care published a statement on their website in which they said they had notified the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission about the allegations.
They also said they are fully co-operating with the police on their investigation, and conducting their own “thorough internal review’’.
“We are deeply shocked by the allegations. They relate to seven residents at our Mary Mackillop and Grasmere Terrace aged care facilities,’’ the statement said.
“We had no prior knowledge of the allegations presented to us yesterday by police.
“We can confirm the alleged offender stopped working with our organisation in November last year after approximately 12 months of employment. The individual no longer works in the aged care sector.
“Our primary concern is the welfare of our residents and their families. We have contacted the families involved and we are providing counselling and ongoing support.
“This is a difficult time for our much loved community, which is deeply supportive of our long standing not for profit organisation.
“We understand how this matter will impact the community and want to assure everyone that we will stay strong and work through this together.
“We remain committed to upholding the dignity and respect of every individual in our care and across our community.
“While there is significant interest in this matter, we will always respect the privacy of our residents, their families and employees and the legal process.
If you have any specific concerns, please contact us at Assistance@carringtoncare.com.au
In March, officers attached to the Sex Crimes Squad commenced an investigation under Strike Force Saddleworth into the alleged sexual offending of a 46-year-old woman.
As part of inquiries, detectives seized the woman’s phone and uncovered videos depicting sexual abuse being carried out against elderly patients at the Carrington aged care facility in Grasmere, where she was employed.
It will be further alleged the woman was sharing the videos of the assault with her partner, a 54-year-old man.
Detectives also found recordings of bestiality on the phone, which were unrelated to the aged care facility.
About 6.10am on Wednesday strike force detectives with assistance from the public order and riot squad arrested a 54-year-old man in Heckenberg, near Liverpool.
During a search of the home, police seized the man’s phone which will undergo forensic examination.
The man was taken to Liverpool Police Station, where he was charged with four counts of possessing bestiality material and four counts of disseminating it.
He was refused bail and appeared in Liverpool Local Court yesterday (Thursday), where he was granted conditional bail to reappear in Campbelltown Local Court on June 18.
Strike force detectives attended a correctional centre in Silverwater yesterday morning, where they charged a 46-year-old woman with four counts of aggravated sexual assault, 11 counts of aggravated sexual touching, two counts of sexual touching, 13 counts of recording an intimate image without consent, nine counts of distributing it without consent and four counts of possessing bestiality material.
She was refused bail to appear in Campbelltown Local Court next Monday, April 28.
It will be alleged in court the woman committed and recorded the sexual offences against five men and two women at the facility between August 4 and 27, last year.
