Adewale Kudabo, a 47-year-old healthcare assistant at York Hospital in the United Kingdom, has been sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a female patient under his care.
Kudabo, originally from Nigeria and residing in South Bank, York, admitted to two counts of sexual assault during his trial at York Crown Court in April.
The offences occurred while he was assigned to assist a female patient in pain.
Prosecutor Henry Fernandez told the court that the first incident happened shortly after Kudabo had bathed the patient.
He then leaned down and kissed her on the lips without consent. Despite being in significant discomfort, the patient attempted to move away but was unable to avoid the contact.
The second incident occurred several days later, when Kudabo offered the same patient another bed bath and once again kissed her without her consent.
Fernandez noted that the victim was “left confused and distressed” and now suffers from anxiety and recurring flashbacks.
Following the assaults, the victim reported the incidents to police.
Judge Alex Menary, delivering the sentence on June 10, said the victim had placed trust in Kudabo as a caregiver — trust which he violated.
“You abused that trust,” Judge Menary said, stressing that the severity of the offences warranted an immediate custodial sentence. Kudabo was ordered to serve six months in prison before becoming eligible for release.
In his defence, Kudabo’s lawyer, Jerry Sodipe, told the court that his client had no prior criminal record and had shown genuine remorse.
“He accepts his actions were inappropriate and unacceptable,” Sodipe said, adding that Kudabo mistakenly believed the kiss might offer comfort to the patient.
Kudabo has since been dismissed from his position at the hospital.
Following the sentencing, the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust issued an apology, stating: “We offer our sincere apologies to the patient affected.
Patients should always feel safe and respected while in our care, and we deeply regret that this was not the case.
We acted swiftly and decisively, and the individual involved left our employment soon afterwards.”