Man Charged With Negligence of Grandmother Pleads Not Guilty
In Fall River, MA, 21-year-old Corey Cabral pleaded not guilty to charges of negligence when he was arraigned in Superior Court. The charges against Cabral stem from an incident when Cabral and his family had to take his 80-year-old grandmother to the hospital. When she arrived at the hospital, doctors discovered the elderly woman had suffered severe, deep bedsores that exposed tendons in her elbow as well as a blood infection and pneumonia. The 80-year-old woman died just two days after being admitted to the hospital.
Cabral was arrested together with his mother, his father, and his two brothers. Cabral and his mother, Karen were indicted on the same charges but Karen Cabral’s bail was reduced from $20,000 to $2,500. Karen Cabral posted bail and she has since been released from custody. If convicted, Corey Cabral could potentially face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison for the charge of permitting serious injury to a person who is elderly or disabled. Cabral’s father and his two brothers face the same charge; however, their sentence could amount to 2 and a-half years in county jail if they are not indicted.
As family members, one would expect that someone given the task of taking care of a loved one would ensure their safety and health. However, as this incident demonstrates, even family caretakers can be responsible for injuries or illnesses that elderly people suffer. Regardless whether they are family members or not, those involved in neglecting the elderly or purposely abusing them should be held accountable for their actions. If somebody is given legal authority to care for an elderly person, they must ensure that the person is properly taken care of and that they are not put in harm’s way. Even if their caretaker is a family member, an elderly individual should not have to suffer such extreme neglect as the elderly woman in this incident suffered.
