Healthcare worker sentenced to 8 years for sexually assaulting elderly patients at night
A 24-year-old care worker has been sentenced to eight years in prison for raping and sexually assaulting three elderly residents in a care facility in Breda, while also being convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material. Brennan G. was also given a 13-year ban from working with vulnerable people — the maximum allowed — and must pay 12,000 euros in damages to the victims.
The offenses took place during the night of April 20 to April 21, 2024, during his first night shift at the facility. G., who was living in Belgium at the time, was working as a flexible employee responsible for a ward for people with dementia and was the only male caregiver on duty.
That night, he entered the rooms of three residents—two women aged 90 and 80 and a 77-year-old man. He raped two of them and sexually assaulted the third. The court found that the male victim was assaulted with an object inserted into his anus, while one of the women was forced to perform oral sex and was raped vaginally. The third victim was repeatedly groped and forced to view and touch the suspect’s genitals.
The victims, all suffering from early-stage dementia, reported the abuse the next morning. Despite their condition, they gave detailed and consistent accounts independently of each other, describing a “tall, young man” who entered their rooms and behaved “roughly." The court ruled their statements reliable.
Their accounts were supported by forensic evidence. DNA traces of G. were found on one victim’s body, and semen was discovered under her fingernails and on a bedsheet. Experts found the DNA evidence was more than 1 billion times more likely to belong to G. than to someone else and concluded the findings were more consistent with sexual assault than with his alternative explanations.
Investigators also found that G. had searched online for pornography involving elderly and demented women just hours before his shift, using terms including “having sex with a demented woman.” Authorities further discovered 1,250 sexually explicit photos and videos of children on his phone.
Family members and staff said the victims became fearful, sad, and withdrawn after the assaults, with care workers noting significant behavioral changes and worsening dementia. One victim became afraid to be alone, while another reportedly showed signs of severe emotional distress.
G. denied the allegations for nearly two years and repeatedly changed his statements as evidence emerged. During a court hearing in March, he admitted for the first time to assaulting one resident but continued to deny rape. The court found his statements “completely unreliable” and said he had repeatedly lied to investigators and the court.
Judges said G. abused the extreme vulnerability of the victims and his position of trust as a caregiver, carrying out the assaults in their bedrooms at night—a setting where they should have felt safe.
