Violetta Hanson, a service carer in Western Sydney, has been arrested this week for stealing almost $40,000 worth of cash and jewellery from her patients.
In an attempt to offload the stolen jewellery for cash, police arrested Ms Hanson at a pawn shop in Western Sydney.
Ms Hanson is accused of fleecing approximately $40,000 in jewellery and cash from terminally ill and disabled people in her care across Wiley Park, Bexley, Drummoyne and Doonside area, over the course of ten months.
In expressing his outrage, NSW Police Superintendent Paul Devaney commented, ‘Ms Hanson’s actions are a significant betrayal of trust by a person employed to care for the most vulnerable members of our community’.
Ms Hanson has since pleaded guilty to six counts of stealing property in a house and four counts of making false statements and will be sentenced next month.
Unfortunately, Ms Hanson is not the first woman to exploit the vulnerabilities of her patients. In July 2019, Siham Carollisen was charged with stealing $140,000 from her sick mother, who was living with Alzheimers.
Although rare, instances such as these stand to evidence that those elderly and sick members of society are extremely vulnerable to exploitation.
In order to prevent the victimisation of those vulnerable in our society, there are many things we can all do:
- Become aware. By informing yourself on this topic and actively raising awareness for this issue, this will help curb the neglect or abuse occurring to those members of our society. If you have a loved one in a care facility, such as a nursing home, this will also force the staff and management to become more accountable for the conditions and caretakers they provide.
- Stay in touch and involved. Family members can help care for the elderly or sick person and be on the lookout for carers actions that may suggest instances of abuse. It is important not to isolate those elderly or sick members of our community, as this isolation increases their chances of abuse.
- Encourage the victim to speak out against the abuse. Often vulnerable persons may feel worried that reporting instances of abuse will mean that they will lose the care and support that they need. By assuring those persons that there are alternate avenues available to them, this will encourage them to speak out against the abuse occurring.
If you, or someone you love is, or has been a victim of abuse, it is important to obtain legal advice to understand your rights and entitlements. If you wish to arrange an appointment, contact our team on 02 8999 9837.