A Kansas hospital is facing a lawsuit after a series of disturbing sexual assaults on patients, allegedly perpetrated by a man who was neither a patient nor an employee. The lawsuit, filed by a 76-year-old victim, alleges negligence and carelessness on the part of Ascension Via Christi Hospital in Wichita. The plaintiff seeks over $75,000 in damages.

28-year-old Miguel Rodela has been charged with multiple counts of rape, attempted rape, and battery in connection with the assaults. He is currently in jail on a $250,000 bond. Rodela's attorney has declined to comment on the case.

The 76-year-old woman who filed the lawsuit describes waking up around 1 a.m. to find Rodela manipulating her catheter. She initially assumed he was a medical professional but became suspicious when she noticed he wasn't wearing gloves or medical attire. After she asked him to find someone else to assist her, a nurse entered the room. However, Rodela claimed to be a nursing student, and the nurse left without further questioning. The patient then used the call button, prompting Rodela to leave. Security was alerted, and the woman reported the assault.

The lawsuit highlights that Rodela was reportedly in the patient's room for over 20 minutes. The woman's attorney, Matt Dwyer of Hutton & Hutton Law Firm, stated, "No patient should ever have to endure such a violation of their dignity and safety, especially within a hospital environment."

Court records indicate that this was not an isolated incident. Shortly after the first reported assault, a security officer reviewing surveillance footage was alerted to another incident on the seventh floor. A nurse technician found Rodela with an 82-year-old woman, his hands under her blankets. The patient reported that he had kissed her. Following this, a security officer on the sixth floor discovered Rodela on top of a 47-year-old patient, lifting her shirt. This patient had a traumatic brain injury and was unable to speak. Rodela falsely claimed to be her relative.

During police questioning, Rodela admitted to drinking and having sexual fantasies about hospitalized patients. He explained that he entered the hospital through a door behind an employee and interacted with at least three patients, rubbing and kissing them until they woke up.

The hospital released a statement acknowledging that they are reviewing their security procedures but declined to comment on the pending litigation. The lawsuit also points out that a nurses' strike took place less than two weeks after the assaults, with safety being a primary concern raised by the unionized nurses.