Woman accuses paramedic of sexual battery in ambulance

CLAY COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - Allegations that a paramedic inappropriately touched a female patient while she was being transported to an Indianapolis area hospital have sparked both a police investigation and an internal investigation by Trans-Care Ambulance Service.

 According to the police report, the woman, 25, was being transported from St. Vincent Hospital in Clay County to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis for a medical condition.

The woman told officers that during the transport, one of ambulance attendants placed a stethoscope on her chest and then the attendant proceeded to slip his other hand into her pants and move his hand down towards the vaginal area.

The patient told officers said she immediately asked the attendant, "What are you doing?" and "Stop it." She says the attendant stated that he was checking her out and then removed his hand from her pants.

She then said she asked for her cell phone. The same attendant stated that it was in the front in the driver's compartment of the ambulance and the attendant said that she didn’t need her cell phone.

Then, the patient said she observed the attendant with her cell phone showing the second crew member certain pictures on her cell phone and making comments about those pictures.

The woman told police she didn’t get her cell phone back until they arrived at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis. She told officers she discovered six pictures of her in a bathing suit had been sent to a phone number she did not recognize. She told officers she was certain she did not send those pictures.

Trans-Care released the following statement:

In the afternoon hours of 12 July 2010, Trans-Care administration received information from an employee alleging misconduct by a second employee involving a patient. We began an immediate investigation into the allegations.

While conducting this investigation, Trans-Care received further information that the patient had filed a complaint with the hospital to which she was transported and with law enforcement.

As a result of both our investigation and the complaints, Trans-Care contacted a representative of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security to begin complaint procedures with the Indiana Emergency Medical Services Commission.

The employee against whom the allegations were made has been removed from all scheduled work involving patient care.

There were two men assigned to the ambulance. The second employee who is mentioned in the statement as reporting the incident would have been the other man assigned to that ambulance. At this time, action has only been taken against one man.

Trans-Care takes allegations of this nature extremely seriously and is cooperating with all agencies investigating these allegations including law enforcement.