2 days ago
3
LOS BANOS, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Bills aimed astatine protecting patients from intersexual maltreatment successful hospitals crossed the authorities are moving done the California legislature.
On Tuesday, AB 848, which would fto judges springiness harsher sentences for those convicted of intersexual maltreatment successful a healthcare setting, passed unanimously successful the Senate Public Safety Committee. It present heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee, earlier being sent to the level for a vote.
This each comes aft aggregate women accused an ultrasound tech successful Los Banos of intersexual maltreatment and assaults portion successful his care.
One of the women who came guardant successful this lawsuit testified successful beforehand of authorities lawmakers during Tuesday's committee hearing.
"Instead of getting help, I was sexually assaulted by the ultrasound tech," Celi Gonzalez said, recounting 1 of the astir horrific moments successful her life.
She spoke successful beforehand of lawmakers, urging them to ballot yes connected the bill.
"I was frozen and taken aback by what conscionable had happened. I conscionable wanted to leave," she explained further, describing her acquisition astatine the hospital.
Gonzalez is 1 of 9 women who are a portion of a suit implicit the intersexual maltreatment and assaults they accidental happened astatine Sutter Health's Los Banos Memorial Hospital betwixt 2020 and 2022.
Gonzalez and the lawyer representing her and the different women successful the civilian suit, Amanda Whitten, say, ultrasound tech Henry Nweke took vantage of her and aggregate patients erstwhile they were astatine their astir vulnerable, including portion going done an emergency, portion pregnant, oregon portion having a miscarriage. YourCentralValley.com reached retired to Nweke's attorney's bureau for remark connected this case, but did not perceive back.
AB 848 would springiness judges much discretion to manus down harsher penalties erstwhile sentencing abusers convicted of felony intersexual artillery successful a healthcare setting. The provider-patient narration tin beryllium utilized arsenic an aggravating origin for a tougher sentence.
The measure primitively intended to marque penalties stricter for those convicted of these crimes crossed the committee by expanding sentences and fines for those convicted by thousands of dollars, and by adding aggregate much years successful situation to sentences.
The measure is sponsored by Assemblymember Esmeralda Soria. Her bureau unit says the measure changed arsenic it made its mode done committees successful bid to get it to pass.
