The woman should have alerted the municipality about the home care employee early on, yet he was allowed to stay.
It's incredibly important to act on signals you receive and to listen to the stories of the elderly, and it doesn't seem to be the case, says Anna Tenje.
People in need of support and assistance should be able to feel safe and secure in their own homes and not be subjected to sexual violence.
The preliminary investigation into the rape has been dropped due to lack of evidence, according to UNT. The home care employee has been dismissed.
After the story became known, the municipality introduced checks of criminal records for new hires. Anna Tenje emphasizes that this is something that about half of the country's municipalities do.
Should all municipalities request criminal records for hires in elderly care?
I can only state that when I was the chairman of the municipal council in Växjö, I introduced this possibility, so I'm not pointing fingers at the municipalities that do it.
Checking criminal records doesn't catch everything, and the minister also points to background checks, reference checks, thorough interviews, and follow-up.
It won't be until next summer that a new law can be in place, clarifying that municipalities will be allowed to conduct checks even when someone is hired, for example, in home care.
