Puerto Montt hospital sexual abuse case leads to victim's death

An 80-year-old man has been detained following the death of a female cancer patient who was allegedly sexually assaulted at the former Puerto Montt Hospital in Chile. The incident occurred on October 10 at approximately 1:40 p.m. in a hospital ward.

The victim, who was suffering from terminal cancer, passed away on Tuesday night. The suspect, who was in a wheelchair, reportedly had prior criminal records for similar offenses. He had been sent to the medical facility after his family in Fresia refused to host him for house arrest.

Judge Lorena Fresard of the Puerto Montt Guarantee Court formalized charges for the completed crime of sexual abuse. Due to the need to evaluate the suspect's psychological state, the court ordered a provisional hospitalization at the Puerto Montt Hospital under the supervision of Gendarmería, rather than standard preventive detention. The Legal Medical Service (SML) has been tasked with conducting psychological evaluations.