MOSCOW, October 22 (RIA Novosti) – Several German medical workers from the Aachen University Clinic have been fired after uploading compromising photos and videos of patients on a website, Deutsche Welle reported on Tuesday.
According to the news source, nurses made patients with dementia sit in silly poses and dress in ridiculous clothes and then took photos of them.
"There is no way these people could have defended themselves […]We call on every medical institution in the country to keep a closer eye on this," the German Foundation for the Protection of Patients said.
According to the German Institute for Human Rights, the abuse of persons in medical facilities is nothing new in Germany and in other European countries, with children and the elderly being the most at risk of abuse.
At the end of September, Germany faced another scandal when allegations of refugee abuse were leveled at German security workers of one of the country's refugee shelters. A man assaulted by two security employees was recorded and photographed lying on the floor with two security guards laughing at the camera.
Such cases are not common for Germany, well-known for its high standard of living and high social benefits. However, there are fears that a significant number of similar abuse cases remain undetected and many vulnerable people in need of care or help are still suffering from violence.
One common opinion, put forth in several studies, is that to solve this problem, Germany should implement a stricter application process for care positions and measure and investigate the quality of care given.
