Suspicion: Foreign caretaker abused elderly woman
Indian caretaker allegedly abused 89-year-old woman in her care; 'Why must I be beat?' woman tells son; 'It's inhuman,' he says, claims violence caught on tape
The Ashkelon Magistrate's Court remanded on Thursday by an additional four days an Indian caretaker suspected of abusing an 89-year-old Ashdod resident under her care.
"Why must I be beat? What have I done to deserve this?" the woman told her son, who says the assaults were documented by surveillance cameras installed at the house after his mother's initial complaints.
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The suspect, who was arrested by Ashdod Police on Wednesday, has been caring for the elderly woman since May, and her son said that his mother first told him she was being beaten four months ago.
"At first my mother asked me 'Why must I be beat? What have I done to deserve this?' When I asked her what she meant, she told me that when she asks for something at night, the caretaker punches her," he said.
Abuse of elderly woman
Consequently, the family installed surveillance cameras around the mother's home.
"When we asked the caretaker about the black eyes and the bruise marks, she said that mother fell," the son explained. "But we had to have proof. Especially since some of my brothers believed her – after all, why would she assault the one who pays her? So we made a mistake, and didn't contact the police right away."
The son said that at first they could find no evidence of maltreatment in the surveillance video, but that one of the brothers watched the footage for hours and discovered that some parts were missing.
"Apparently the caretaker would sometimes unplug the cameras," he explained.
The brother kept watching the online feed and saw the caretaker leave the elderly woman on the floor for hours, "and when she helped her she lifted her or dragged her by the leg like she was a chicken.
"It's a horrible feeling to think how your mother, who raised you and her 10 sons, is treated this way. It's inhuman. Someone, whose job is to care for my mother, abused her just because she asked for things at night," the son said.
The family intends to hire a new caretaker, but only after thorough examinations.
"When I told my mother the police arrested the caretaker she said 'Thank God.' I am also relieved now and I'm certain the police and the court will do the right thing," he said.
"I have heard in the past about similar incidents and now I can only recommend that everyone check very closely the people they employ and install surveillance cameras."
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