Victim allegedly raped by ex-nurse files lawsuit against Lee Health

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CAPE CORAL, Fla. A rape victim filed a lawsuit Wednesday against Lee Health, the largest healthcare system in Southwest Florida.

Former overnight nurse Jeovanni Hildebrand Hechavarria, 35, of Fort Myers, is accused of raping a patient under the influence of a sedative on July 16, 2016 at the Cape Coral Hospital, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

MORE: Arrest made in 2016 Cape Coral Hospital rape case

Hechavarria is also accused of threatening the victim that he would rape her again and warning her not to tell anyone what happened, according to Health Department documents.

“It’s our position that Lee Memorial essentially gave this nurse a license to rape their patients,” the victim’s personal injury attorney Ryan A. Fogg said.

In the complaint filed Wednesday, medical records show Hechavarria was in the victim’s room five times overnight on July 16 and July 17.

MORE: Ex-Cape nurse accused of raping woman in hospital bed

Fort Myers attorney Geraldo Olivo says this sexual assault case is unique because of its location.

“Certainly a difficult situation from an individual perspective to prevent, because when you’re going to a hospital you’re somehow injured, sick, incapacitated and you’re not able to defend yourself,” Olivo said.

Fogg believes Lee Health needs to pay for the crime too.

“She’s looking for justice. She wants to hold the hospital accountable because they knew that this nurse, their employee had a propensity for this and did nothing to prevent it,” he said.

WINK News reached out to Lee Health but they have not yet been served the lawsuit and declined to comment.

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