Sexual Assaults Upon Patients of Community Health Network Now Under Investigation By Law Firm

INDIANAPOLIS - Jan. 16, 2014 - PRLog -- INDIANAPOLIS, IN - One of Indiana's largest hospital corporations, Community Health Network, Inc., is facing ongoing questions concerning how it handles reports of sexual assaults that occur within their hospitals.  The investigation stems from an alleged sexual assault upon a female patient in 2009 by a male psychiatric patient who was permitted to gain access to the female patient’s room after she had been given sedative medication prior to going to bed.  The alleged attack occurred at night while both patients were hospitalized at Community Health Network’s  Northeast Indianapolis hospital campus.

As part of the ongoing investigation by the Powless Law Firm on behalf of the female patient, various Community Health Network personnel have been questioned under oath during deposition proceedings.

One aspect under investigation is the practice by Community Health Network personnel of choosing not to notify the police department’s sex crimes investigators of reported sexual assaults.  Gary Beisel, a corporate investigator for Community Health Network, defended the practice while testifying during his deposition.  “If I do an investigation in a sex act or an alleged sex act, if I feel the need to call sex crimes in then I’ll call them in.  If I don’t think that there’s anything there at all, that this is going nowhere, I won’t call for sex crimes” said Beisel.

Others, however, have concerns about this practice.  “The concept of having hospital employees deciding whether or not to even notify police of reported sex crimes occurring under their care and within their facilities is troubling, to say the least.  Rape is a felony criminal act and proper investigative authorities should be notified promptly.” said attorney Jeff Powless.

As part of its ongoing investigation, the Powless Law Firm, which prosecutes medical negligence and malpractice claims, is asking for anyone willing to provide information related to a sex crime occurring at a Community Health System hospital, or knowledge of Community’s handling of a reported sex crime, to contact them at 877-769-5377.

The Powless Law Firm, P.C. prosecutes medical malpractice and nursing home neglect cases on behalf of injured patients and their families.  Visit http://powlesslaw.com/medical-malpractice-claim/ for more information on our process for filing medical malpractice claims.