Nigerian healthcare worker jailed in UK for kissing patient
Adewale Kudabo, a Nigerian health worker, jailed in the UK for kissing a patient.
A Nigerian healthcare worker, Adewale Kudabo, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison by a UK court for sexually assaulting a vulnerable patient under his care at York Hospital, North Yorkshire.
Kudabo, 47, who had been employed by the York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, was convicted of two counts of sexual assault after he kissed a female patient twice without consent while she was in severe pain and unable to defend herself. The incidents occurred while he was assisting her with personal care, according to court reports.
During the trial at York Crown Court, prosecutor Henry Fernandez explained that the offences did not occur during the patient’s bathing but happened shortly after. Kudabo first kissed the woman on the lips while she was in a fragile state. Despite her efforts to pull away, she could not avoid the unwanted contact.
Days later, he approached her again, offering another bed bath, and attempted a second non-consensual kiss. The victim later reported the disturbing encounters to the police. She has since suffered anxiety and flashbacks as a result of the trauma.
Presiding judge Alex Menary condemned Kudabo’s actions, stating: “You abused the trust placed in you as a medical professional.” He emphasised the gravity of the offence and ruled that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate. Kudabo will serve half of the 12-month sentence before he becomes eligible for release.
In his defence, barrister Jerry Sodipe acknowledged that Kudabo had shown remorse and pleaded guilty at the start of the trial. “He accepts his actions were inappropriate and unacceptable,” Sodipe said, noting that Kudabo had relocated to the UK from Nigeria with his family but has now lost his job.
A spokesperson for the NHS Trust extended a public apology to the victim, saying, “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 the individual involved left our employment soon afterwards.”