Former Politician Sentenced for Assaulting Elderly Woman in Care

Former Green Party politician Angel Villaverde, 62, has been sentenced to prison for assaulting a dementia-stricken woman in her 80s. Villaverde was employed in home care at the time of the assault.

During an evening in mid-April, Villaverde, who was working in home care in Timrå municipality, visited the woman, a dementia patient in her 80s. They consumed alcohol together, after which he assaulted her in her bed.

The assault was uncovered when the woman's son returned home and noticed an unfamiliar car parked outside late at night. Upon entering the house, he found Villaverde clothed, but later saw him without pants.

Victim in a Particularly Vulnerable Position

The woman has stated in interviews that she remembers little of the incident but consistently recalls a man being in her home and assaulting her. She has cried while recounting the event.

She reported that the man covered her mouth when she protested and held her arms, stating, "he is stronger than her."

Angel Villaverde denies the crime, claiming the encounter was consensual, a view not shared by the court.

The court found that the woman's account alone was insufficient for a conviction. However, her dependency, dementia, and intoxication at the time of the crime collectively supported the prosecutor's case.

The verdict states that Angel Villaverde:

"...improperly exploited the victim's particularly vulnerable situation. He also severely abused the dependency relationship she had with him. Based on these conclusions, the intercourse could not have been consensual."

Villaverde has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison and must pay the woman 270,000 kronor in damages. The court noted that the crime's severity warranted a sentence of three years and six months, but reduced it by two months due to Villaverde losing his jobs in home care and a wine export company.

Previously Accused of Similar Crimes

The investigation revealed three other incidents where Angel Villaverde faced similar accusations.

In 2017, while working at a school, he was accused of sexual harassment of a girl under 15. The report was dismissed, and Villaverde left the job.

He then worked at a dementia care facility in Sundsvall municipality. The following year, he was accused of assaulting a resident, but the investigation was dropped due to lack of evidence.

Two years later, Villaverde was suspended from another dementia care facility after a resident accused him of inappropriate conduct. Villaverde claimed he was performing hygiene care.

Villaverde was active in the Green Party at the local level. In 2016, he was a spokesperson for the Green Party in Västernorrland and Sundsvall and a group leader in the Sundsvall municipal council.

In 2015, he was arrested in Peru on terrorism charges in his former homeland. He was fully acquitted after two months in detention and returned to Sweden in March 2016.