Canadian man facing rape charge in Bahamas, family says victim has Alzheimer’s

globalnews.ca:

The family of an 80-year-old Canadian woman with Alzheimer’s disease is speaking out after their vacation in the Bahamas took a horrific turn.They allege she was sexually assaulted at the resort they were staying at by a guest they say is from Nova Scotia.The woman’s son, David Ahrens, says the family is shocked by everything that’s happened.“No one has the right to inflict this much pain and trauma on an 80-year-old great-grandmother who has Alzheimer’s disease,” he told Global News.Ahrens says he’s speaking out to warn others about the potential dangers when travelling with vulnerable loved ones.He says his mother, who he is not naming to protect her privacy, was on holiday with other family members at the Warwick Hotel and Resort on Paradise Island, Nassau last month.According to Ahrens, a Canadian man the group didn’t know introduced himself to the group on Jan. 28, and joined them for dinner.

He then entered the same hotel elevator as Ahrens’ mother and sister at the end of the night.“My sister stepped out and really at the same time was turning to get my mother, and the doors were already closing … and at that point, my mother disappeared,” he said.He says the family searched frantically for 45 minutes and hotel staff eventually called local police.Ahrens says another resort guest, who happens to work with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, joined in the search.Ahrens says Special Agent Tom Justice found the senior with the accused when the elevator doors opened on another floor.