Timrå Municipality has reported itself to the Health and Social Care Inspectorate (Ivo) following the conviction of former employee Angel Villaverde for raping an elderly woman. Despite previous allegations of sexual misconduct, Villaverde was employed in home care services. The municipality's investigation revealed procedural oversights, leading to the serious incident.
Timrå Municipality Reports Serious Misconduct After Employee's Conviction for Rape
Timrå Municipality Reports Serious Misconduct After Employee's Conviction for Rape
Before Angel Villaverde was hired in home care services, he had been accused of sexual offenses against the elderly and children. He later raped a client. Now, Timrå Municipality has reported the incident to the Health and Social Care Inspectorate (Ivo).
In June, former municipal politician Angel Villaverde (MP) was sentenced to three years and four months in prison for raping a woman in her 80s with dementia.
He was previously employed in home care services in Timrå Municipality, and the woman was one of his clients. One evening in April this year, he went to her home outside of working hours, consumed alcohol, and raped her.
He was caught almost in the act by the woman's daughter-in-law.
Previously Accused of Crimes
When the incident later led to prosecution, it became clear that Villaverde had been accused of similar crimes before. The preliminary investigation included three other incidents:
■ In 2017, he worked at a school and was accused of sexual harassment of a girl under 15. The report was dropped, and Villaverde left the job.
■ The following year, he was reported for raping a client at a dementia care facility in Sundsvall Municipality. That investigation was dropped due to lack of evidence.
■ Two years later, Angel Villaverde was suspended from another dementia care facility after a client accused him of inserting his fingers into her genitals. Villaverde claimed in conversations with his manager and the police that he was performing hygiene care.
Received Good References
Timrå Municipality has now investigated how the former politician could be hired despite this.
In the municipality's investigation, which news agency Siren has reviewed, it states that Villaverde received good references, but during the recruitment process, it emerged that a resident in a neighboring municipality had expressed concern. After that, a social services official decided that Villaverde should not be scheduled for more shifts until the municipality received more information from previous workplaces, but when the official later went on sick leave, a higher-ranking municipal manager decided "not to investigate further."
"As nothing concrete emerged, there was nothing more to go on, and extended reference checks were not possible, the man continued to be hired as a temporary worker in the operation. The man was appreciated in the workgroup and by the unit manager, clients, and relatives, and there were no signals of irregularities from his time in Timrå," the investigation states.
Reported to Ivo
The man had also submitted a criminal record extract, and according to the investigation, there was nothing to suggest he was unsuitable.
The municipality has nevertheless concluded in its investigation that the consequences of the incident can be seen as "a serious misconduct," and has therefore reported itself to the Health and Social Care Inspectorate. The rape is described as "extremely serious," even though the municipality does not consider it to be due to "a structural misconduct by the employer."
Villaverde was suspended from work immediately after the incident.