Want a safe home service: “You don’t want to grow old under those conditions”
The support of Elsa, 84, the woman who was raped by a man in the domestic service has been big since she chose to appear in UNT.
During Saturday, a large demonstration of support for her was organized in Uppsala.
– My mother also had home care. As a relative, you would be so desperate and that is how you feel about Elsa now, says Åse-Marie Westerlund who attended the demonstration.
It was last spring that Elsa was raped in her home by a man from the domestic service. At the end of November, she chose to go out with her name and image because she was disappointed with the municipality’s actions – but also because she wanted to help other vulnerable women.
– Maybe I can go ahead and take on other women’s shame so that they also dare to tell, Elsa said then.
Deeply affected
At Saturday’s demonstration, there were around 200 people who had gathered in Uppsala to show their support for the 84-year-old and other women who have been exposed. Many on site were deeply moved, had tears in their eyes and some began to share their own stories, according to Maria Mattson-Mähl who helped pull the demonstration together. She also highlights the importance of UNT’s review.
– Without that review, nothing would have been done by the municipality. It is so terrible that this could have continued or fallen into oblivion, she says.
– She should get a medal for her strength to come out. She should become an honorary citizen. Many thanks to Elsa – incredibly brave, says Uppsala resident Vicky Lyckholm.
Criticism of the municipality
Already in the fall of 2023, Elsa alerted a manager in the home service that an employee had exposed herself to her. Despite that, he was allowed to continue working – six months later, the man allegedly raped Elsa.
The man had been suspended from a previous home care job for sexual abuse – but still got the job at Uppsala municipality, which UNT revealed.
The municipality has received massive criticism for its actions. Now the municipality has acknowledged shortcomings after the incident and will conduct an external review, something they rejected for a long time. The incident has sparked a discussion about safety in home care, and the government now wants to introduce mandatory extracts from the burden register in elderly care.
“People are waking up”
And there were many who attended the demonstration to show their support for Elsa and to mark against politicians. One of them was Åse-Marie Westerlund, who believes that Elsa’s courage to speak out about the rape has already had a big impact.
– I think that people are waking up and thinking that ‘it must not be like this’ in home care. That you start to check more what kind of people work there.
– You should not have to be afraid that mother, grandmother or grandmother will get hurt in their own home. It’s brave of Elsa to come out and talk about this. Although it has felt like shame to her, it is bravely done. Very brave, she continues.
Lars Sundberg also wants to see increased controls within home care.
– It’s terrible. You don’t want to grow old under those conditions. You want the elderly to be able to be supported in a proper way and for us to have staff to look after us when we get old, says Lars Sundberg.