There is a disturbing case at the Belmopan residential psychiatric facility known as the "Palm Center". An 80-year-old female patient reported that a much younger male patient raped her. The alleged rape happened on Monday August 31st at around 6:00. The Center Administrator Michelle O'Brian didn't have the full details when we spoke to her today, but she told us that it may have happened while the patients were lined up to receive their medication. O'Brian told us that the alleged attacker was under supervision because he had gotten into an argument with another patient earlier. But that patient somehow got away or was left unattended- and that's when the alleged rape happened. O'Brian told us what they know so far.
Michelle O'Brien, Palm Center Administrator - Belmopan
"On August 31st, I did received a report of an alleged rape - patient to patient. To my knowledge up to this point police still have the incident under investigation. I met with them on Friday and it occlude at the facility. This is the first incident of this kind that has been reported and we have the usual staff there and we always try to ensure that we are adequately staffed. However unfortunately even when we try to put measures in place to ensure that incident like theses and this is the first one that has occurred, unfortunately I believe that this occurred in the split of a second because everyone who was to be at work was there including the security officer."
Courtney Weatherburne
"In terms of the timing, could you tell us when it happened?"
Michelle O'Brien, Palm Center Administrator
"The security personnel is available. There were two 12 hours shift as well as the staff 24 hours a day. This occurred in the evening time."
Courtney Weatherburne
"Could you describe to us what you mean "by the split of a second?""
Michelle O'Brien, Palm Center Administrator
"Well, we normally would have in the evening around 6pm. we have the administration of medication and I am thinking that while the patients are probably lined up and they are administering this medication - that's the only time that I could see such an incident occurring. There is one area which is assigned to patients where we have the patient dining area, the rest rooms are in that area as well and the nursing station. Normally these patients would be on the patio and around 6pm. There was an earlier incident of patients having an altercation. There were sitting by the nursing station under supervision. According to the reports it was during that time while they were lining up for their medication. The nursing station is in the center of the area where these residents live and where they would do daily eating and recreation."
Both patients are still admitted at the center but they have been separated. There has been increased vigilance by staff since the incident. O'Brian told us that they will now have to invest in security cameras to better monitor the patients.
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