Serious allegations against Berlin Charité

After the abuse scandal massive criticism of the leadership of the Berlin Charité

24/11/2012

After the abuse scandal at the Berlin Charité politicians of different parties have expressed massive criticism of the information management of the hospital and the structures of personnel management in question. Although the Charité had announced on Friday that „To support vigorously and transparently the clarification of the unresolved issues and to cooperate closely with the investigating authorities“, but so the failings of the past in the opinion of the critics are not to be excused.

After a 16-year-old patient charged the charge of sexual abuse with a caregiver at the Berlin Charité, the accused was suspended and the public prosecutor's office commenced investigations. On Wednesday last week, the caregiver allegedly committed suicide at the Charité Rescue Center at Campus Virchow. In retrospect, it turned out that this was obviously not the only attack of the caretaker. The accused had apparently already exploited the situation of needy patients several times and passed them by sex. Opposite the radio station „radioBERLIN 88.8“ said the Berlin patient representative Karin Stötzner massive criticism of the hospital management and their personnel management. Here was talk of lack of leadership skills, which, according to the patient representative is particularly frightening, „that there was obviously some knowledge that this caregiver has already become conspicuous in this regard.“

Cover up of abuse at the Berlin Charité?
The fact that a nurse abuses a minor patient at the rescue center is in itself an incredible scandal. That similar outrages were apparently carried out by the same caregiver even before the current case and that he was supposed to have been on record at the clinic as well as at the authorities because of his offenses gives the current events a special explosiveness. All parties of the Berlin Senate were shocked and called for a comprehensive education. CDU General Secretary Kai Wegner accused the hospital of covering up cases of abuse for years. Instead of reporting, only the in-house legal department was turned on, so the charge of the politician. This was a wrong signal. The clinic management is requested to do so „all cases of abuse and possibly other crimes immediately“ display.

Comprehensive investigation of the abuse scandal required
The Berlin Senator of Science Sandra Scheeres (SPD) demanded from the clinic management of the Charité until Monday a written report that discloses the exact procedures in the current abuse scandal. The Greens also strongly criticized the crisis management of the Charité and called into question the structures used to run Europe's largest university hospital. The clinic management was under effort to mitigate damage and announced in a press release on Friday that „an external panel of experts has been appointed to investigate the causes that have in the past led to the unexplained cases of abuse at the Charité.“ Next Monday, a first meeting of the expert panel will take place, in addition to the former Federal Minister of Justice Brigitte Zypries (SPD) and Julia von Weiler (Child Protection Association „Innocence in Danger“), Udo Nagel (ex-senator of Hamburg), Sylvester von Bismarck (pediatric surgeon), Günther Brenzel (nursing expert) and Sigrid Richter-Unger (head of the counseling center „Child in the center“) Belong. The committee should also review internal structures and processes.

Improved advice, prevention and communication
In addition, the Charité offers victims, parents, patients and employees a telephone hotline every day between 8am and 8pm. Under the phone number 030 450 550 500 psychological professionals are available. The hotline will be well received and until Thursday evening there were ten calls, of which a hint closer investigation needs, the hospital reports ... Also take the citizen telephone the Berlin police under the number 030 4664 4664 pertinent information on the current allegations of abuse at the Berliner Charité opposite. In the interests of prevention, the initiative will continue from then on „Child in the center“ take on an advisory role for women and children's and adolescent health workers at the Berlin Charité, according to the latest release. The initiative offers discussions and training and supports the development of a prevention concept and the creation of appropriate structures to contribute to a more open communication culture. However, the hospital management also had to concede again deficits in the communication. Chief Executive Officer Karl Max Einhäupl and Medical Director Ulrich Frei apparently already knew about this two days after the current incident, although they initially claimed to have been informed only this week on Tuesday. (Fp)