Caregiver Charged After Disabled Woman Suffocates Due to Negligence

In a tragic case highlighting caregiver negligence, a personal assistant in Haparanda has been charged with causing the death of a disabled woman after she fell asleep during her night shift. The incident occurred in April, where the assistant, tasked with providing constant supervision to the 35-year-old woman suffering from severe disabilities, confessed to dozing off—a lapse that resulted in the woman suffocating due to obstruction from her stomach contents.

The assistant, who had been caring for the woman for approximately two months, intended to take a short rest but ended up sleeping for several hours. Upon waking, she discovered the woman unresponsive with her face against her pillow. Prosecutor Joseph Ricken underscored that the assistant's primary duty was to ensure the woman's safety, pointing to the necessity for constant oversight especially during night hours.

While the assistant acknowledges her negligence, she denies the charge of causing death as clarified by her lawyer, Marko Tuhkanen. The family of the deceased has expressed profound grief over the incident, describing the woman as a vibrant individual who brought joy to their lives. Their representative, Karoliina Ikonen Simu, noted the critical need for enhanced awareness regarding the vulnerabilities of individuals requiring assistance and the essential qualifications for caregivers to be fit for duty, emphasizing that such unfortunate incidents should never occur again.