An elderly woman told her family that she was sexually assaulted by a staff member at a luxury nursing home in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre.
The incident happened on 2 September, when a male employee in his 40s allegedly pushed the woman onto her bed, removed her clothes off without consent, and sexually assaulted her. The 90-year-old woman resisted and scratched his forearms, according to reports by Sudinfo.
One staff member told the Belgian paper that the woman had appeared deeply distressed that evening and did not want staff to touch her while helping her to wash.
Another resident reportedly said the worker was visibly upset when he visited her on the evening of the alleged incident and told her that he had done "something wrong". She also claimed she saw scratches on his forearms.
The worker resigned voluntarily and left the residence the following day, the management told Sudinfo, but several anonymous sources alleged that he had been pressured to leave. An administrator at the residence rejected that claim.
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The male member of staff had reportedly worked at the nursing home for more than 20 years, serving residents in the dining room and delivering evening meals to their apartments.
The residence's director confirmed that neither the alleged victim nor the establishment had filed a complaint and declined to comment further while police and judicial authorities handled the matter.
The Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office confirmed it had opened an investigation but declined to provide further details.
"At this stage, I can only confirm that an investigation has indeed been opened. We will not be making any further comments for the time being," Philippe Fabri, spokesperson for the Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office, told Sudinfo.
The former staff member strongly denies the allegations and said his resignation had nothing to do with the alleged assault. "My conscience is clear," he told Sudinfo.
When asked about accounts describing him as physically affectionate with residents, he acknowledged being a "tactile" person, but said that he knew where to set boundaries.
The former employee is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Brussels Prosecutor's investigation will seek to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.
