Three careworkers busted for menacing a frail, 92-year-old man in a video that shocked Calgary will be jailed.
Choking back tears, the son of a senior seriously abused at a southwest care facility said he accepts the 60-day sentence handed down to three women Wednesday.
“I think it’s fair,” said Peter Wissner of the sentence given to Maria Dumo, May Casimero and Angelina Borja for abusing his 92-year-old father, Ulrich Wissner.
“We had certainly hoped for some term of incarceration, this needs to be a deterrent to people.
“The sentencing wasn’t a key part of this, the guilty pleas were for us.”
The three women each pleaded guilty to assault in March for abusing Wissner at CareWest Garrison Green in February 2014.
A written decision handed down by Judge John Bascom said Wissner had lived at the extended care facility for three years and had been unable to move for the last year without assistance from a hoist and sling.
Bedridden, he was frail and largely deaf.
Having seen a change in Wissner’s personality in the fall of 2013, his family asked him about it and he said he was being abused.
Those complaints continued and in the spring of 2014, Wissner would plead with his sons not to leave him alone.
He suffered from prostate cancer and was moved to palliative care in February 2014.
On Feb. 3, 2014, Peter installed a motion activated camera in his father’s room however it didn’t have sound.
Four days later, it recorded an assault on Wissner.
The video showed Dumo dip a plastic fork in a cup of water and flick it at him five times, she held the cup over his head and threatened to dump it on him.
Wissner tried to pull his blankets up in response but his frail state left him vulnerable.
A look of fear can be seen on his face.
The video also shows Dumo and Borja using excessive force to move and hold him while Casimero changed his diaper.
Another point shows Casimero holding the contents of Wissner’s catheter over his head, threatening to pour it on him.
Before leaving the room, sheets were thrown over Wissner’s face and Borja stood at the foot of the bed giving him the finger.
In an interview with police, Dumo said it was “sad it is us in the video ... there is a lot of people who do much worse to him than I am doing.”
That angered Peter.
“That comment has been in my head since I heard it the first time in court,” he said.
“I don’t know if it’s just somebody desperate in an interview, trying to justify their actions or if it’s really true.
“I hope it’s not, but I certainly hope the sentence is a message to anybody out there who may have been or may still be mistreating people ... that it’s not acceptable.”
Wissner died March 6, 2014.
All three were fired by CareWest on Feb. 10, 2014.
The women will serve the sentence on weekends, starting Oct. 30.
They were also placed on probation for one year and must abide by several conditions, including completing anger management classes and doing 30 hours of community service.
Each born in the Philippines, Dumo and Borja are permanent residents here while Casimero is a Canadian citizen.
Calgary careworkers to be jailed for shocking abuse of 92-year-old | News | Calgary Sun
Choking back tears, the son of a senior seriously abused at a southwest care facility said he accepts the 60-day sentence handed down to three women Wednesday.
“I think it’s fair,” said Peter Wissner of the sentence given to Maria Dumo, May Casimero and Angelina Borja for abusing his 92-year-old father, Ulrich Wissner.
“We had certainly hoped for some term of incarceration, this needs to be a deterrent to people.
“The sentencing wasn’t a key part of this, the guilty pleas were for us.”
The three women each pleaded guilty to assault in March for abusing Wissner at CareWest Garrison Green in February 2014.
A written decision handed down by Judge John Bascom said Wissner had lived at the extended care facility for three years and had been unable to move for the last year without assistance from a hoist and sling.
Bedridden, he was frail and largely deaf.
Having seen a change in Wissner’s personality in the fall of 2013, his family asked him about it and he said he was being abused.
Those complaints continued and in the spring of 2014, Wissner would plead with his sons not to leave him alone.
He suffered from prostate cancer and was moved to palliative care in February 2014.
On Feb. 3, 2014, Peter installed a motion activated camera in his father’s room however it didn’t have sound.
Four days later, it recorded an assault on Wissner.
The video showed Dumo dip a plastic fork in a cup of water and flick it at him five times, she held the cup over his head and threatened to dump it on him.
Wissner tried to pull his blankets up in response but his frail state left him vulnerable.
A look of fear can be seen on his face.
The video also shows Dumo and Borja using excessive force to move and hold him while Casimero changed his diaper.
Another point shows Casimero holding the contents of Wissner’s catheter over his head, threatening to pour it on him.
Before leaving the room, sheets were thrown over Wissner’s face and Borja stood at the foot of the bed giving him the finger.
In an interview with police, Dumo said it was “sad it is us in the video ... there is a lot of people who do much worse to him than I am doing.”
That angered Peter.
“That comment has been in my head since I heard it the first time in court,” he said.
“I don’t know if it’s just somebody desperate in an interview, trying to justify their actions or if it’s really true.
“I hope it’s not, but I certainly hope the sentence is a message to anybody out there who may have been or may still be mistreating people ... that it’s not acceptable.”
Wissner died March 6, 2014.
All three were fired by CareWest on Feb. 10, 2014.
The women will serve the sentence on weekends, starting Oct. 30.
They were also placed on probation for one year and must abide by several conditions, including completing anger management classes and doing 30 hours of community service.
Each born in the Philippines, Dumo and Borja are permanent residents here while Casimero is a Canadian citizen.
Calgary careworkers to be jailed for shocking abuse of 92-year-old | News | Calgary Sun