A Libertyville nursing home allowed numerous unauthorized and unsupervised visits to an elderly woman by a man who sexually abused her, a lawsuit filed Wednesday claims.

The suit, filed in Lake County Circuit Court, claims Winchester House, a county nursing facility in Libertyville, ignored industry standards and "was woefully inadequate in informing anyone or taking steps to prevent [Duane] Stapher's repeated visits, during which he would assault and abuse [Betty] Christensen and other residents of the Dementia Ward."

Christensen, 82, was "repeatedly abused" by Stapher while a resident of Winchester House, the suit claims.

"Mrs. Christensen's family, who had to struggle with the difficulty of a family member with dementia, was relying on the Winchester House to provide a safe environment," a release from Dudley and Lake, the law firm that filed the suit, said.

According to the release, "both the Illinois Department of Public Health and local police investigation found that Winchester House employees were aware that during these visits Mr. Stapher would place his hands underneath the gown and inside the clothes of Mrs. Christensen."

The employees, the suit contends, "did nothing to report the incident to their superiors, nor Mrs. Christensen's family." Christensen was formerly Stapher's landlord.

Stapher, 64, of Wildwood, who had no prior criminal convictions, pleaded guilty last month to aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony. Judge George Bridges sentenced Stapher to four years probation and sex offender counseling, and ordered him to perform 200 hours of public service work.

Copyright 2007, Sun-Times News Group