Two staff members at an elderly home in Vännäs are suspected of committing two sex crimes against a woman on different days in December. The first incident involved unwanted intimate shaving, and the second a rape. The woman no longer feels safe at the facility.
Two people working at an elderly home in Vännäs are suspected of subjecting a woman to two different sex crimes on separate days in December 2023. According to a deviation report, the first incident occurred on December 23, when the woman had her genital area shaved against her will. Vännäs social services chief Ulrica Westerlund comments: “The first incident involves an intimate shaving and the second a rape.” She adds that they know it happened, but not why or under what circumstances.
The second incident took place on December 27. The woman told a relative that she was raped on the toilet by another employee at the home. The report states that the woman was able to describe the incident and the involved person. “She no longer feels safe at the home,” it notes. Westerlund stresses the importance of taking such accounts seriously: “It’s great that women dare to tell about what they have experienced and it’s important to take them seriously.”
The two suspected employees have been reported to the police and removed from duty, but retain their pay during the investigation. Westerlund expresses regret: “I am very sorry both for the woman and the relatives.” She also mentions the negative impact on colleagues: “The attention is directed at their operations and can damage trust in them.”
The events highlight challenges in elderly care in Vännäs, a municipality in Västerbotten.