Full Breakdown
Nurse Sentenced for Sexual Assault on Hospital Patient
By Drooid · · How we work
Incident at Royal Bournemouth Hospital
On the early hours of Sunday July 30 2023, a woman in her 30s was taken to the Royal Bournemouth Hospital after becoming unwell. While she was alone in an emergency-department treatment room, former NHS nurse Ernest Paul Cruz — a 38-year-old from Merstham, Surrey — asked to assist her with changing clothes. During this assistance, Cruz inappropriately touched the patient and proceeded to sexually assault her. The victim disclosed the assault to a female nurse the next morning, prompting a police investigation.
Court Verdict and Penalties
Bournemouth Crown Court found Cruz guilty of sexual assault and assault by penetration of the vulnerable woman. He received a seven-year prison term. In addition to incarceration, the court imposed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, a restraining order, and added Cruz to the Sex Offenders’ Register.
Official Response
A Dorset Police spokesperson highlighted the victim’s courage in reporting the crime and emphasized that authorities will continue to support victims and hold perpetrators accountable. Police officials noted that the case underscores the vulnerability of patients in medical settings and reaffirmed their commitment to thorough investigations of such allegations.
Verbatim Quotes
- “ Detective Constable Jordan Hopkins said: "The victim was in a vulnerable position, having been admitted to hospital when unwell, at the time she was sexually assaulted by Ernest Cruz.” — Constable Jordan Hopkins
The court’s decision and the police response illustrate the legal and protective measures applied when a healthcare professional abuses a patient’s trust.