Suit filed against rapist and facility

I read an article this weekend about a resident who was physically and sexually assaulted by the groundskeeper for a nursing home facility.  The family of an Alzheimer’s resident who was sexually assaulted by former Bedminster supervisor Robert Holland has sued him and the woman’s nursing home for civil damages.

The late Helen Priester was 92 and in a wheelchair when Holland, a groundskeeper at Pine Run Community in Doylestown Township, was caught with her in her room.

“We want to collect fair compensation for the injuries and damages Helen Priester suffered, but we also want to make sure that this doesn’t happen again,” said attorney Edward Shensky.

Holland, a Bedminster supervisor for 15 years, was sentenced in March to two to four years in prison for aggravated indecent assault, institutional sexual assault and related charges. Though he pleaded guilty, Holland maintained that Priester initiated the sexual contact and consented to the acts.

The suit says Holland was discovered May 5, 2006, by a Pine Run employee who noticed Priester’s door was closed.   The employee opened the door and found Holland assaulting Priester. The worker yelled at Holland to stop and went to get security when he would not.

When they returned, the door was again shut and Holland was continuing the assault.
Holland, who used a service entrance to come into the nursing home, admitted to assaulting Priester for at least three years, the suit said.
Shensky said the nursing home should have done more to restrict access to vulnerable patients.