Attorneys representing a woman who was raped while incapacitated and later gave birth at a Phoenix clinic have filed a $45 million claim against the state.
The victim, 29, may have been impregnated before an encounter that led to her giving birth in December, according to The Associated Press.
Nathan Sutherland, 37, a former employee at Hacienda Healthcare, a long-term care facility, pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual abuse and abusing a vulnerable adult. His DNA matched that of the newborn baby, investigators said.
Maricopa County Sheriffs Office via AP, File
That baby is being cared for by the family of the woman, who’s been in long-term care since she nearly drowned at age 3.
The claim is seeking a $25 million settlement for the victim and $10 million for each of the woman’s parents within 60 days, or the matter will be taken to court, the AP reported.
Medical records cited in the claim allege the woman was “violently and repeatedly raped” while living at Hacienda. A doctor present the day she gave birth said she could’ve been pregnant previously.
