According to authorities, an elderly care resident who had reportedly been sexually molested managed to kick her assailant in the groin before fleeing for her life.
About 2.30 am on New Year’s Day, emergency personnel were summoned to an aged care facility in Coffs Harbour in response to complaints that an unidentified man had entered a 76-year-old woman’s room.
According to police, the man, identified as 29-year-old Hayden Skinner, used the courtyard to enter the woman’s room while hiding his identity with a stocking over his head.
The woman reported to the police that she heard the man enter her room and that she tried to fight him off when she woke up.
According to the police, the woman was sexually attacked by the man after he took off her underpants.
Before running away to notify the personnel, the woman scratched his face and gave him a groin kick.
It is said that the man jumped over a fence to escape.
The woman was brought to the hospital with minor injuries after receiving treatment from paramedics on the spot.
According to Superintendent Jane Doherty, the woman was under the care of her relatives after being discharged from the hospital.
“To break into a nursing home, you are only going to find vulnerable people, so it beggars belief that someone would do this,” Doherty told the press.
“While she has health issues, we were very lucky in this instance she was agile enough and cohesive enough to be able to give us a statement and be able to defend herself.”
“Physically she has bruises and scratches – she’s well supported by family.”
She mentioned that the accused was well-known to the police, but she gave no other information.”An attack like this in the security of your own bed is very difficult to come to terms with.”
According to Doherty, police have been evaluating the safety and security of adjacent assisted living facilities.
On Thursday afternoon, police made thorough inquiries and took into custody a 29-year-old male.
He was brought to the Coffs Harbour Police Station where he was accused of both break-ins with intent and aggravated sexual assault.
Bail to appear at Port Macquarie Local Court was denied to the guy.
