Depraved nurse jailed after raping vulnerable care home colleague and fleeing UK

Depraved Nurse Jailed After Raping Vulnerable Care Home Colleague and Fleeing UK

The shocking case of Naijil Paul, a former care home manager in North Lanarkshire, has sent ripples of outrage across the United Kingdom.

Paul, once entrusted with the responsibility of overseeing a care facility, abused his position of authority in the most heinous way imaginable. He was sentenced to seven years and nine months in prison after admitting to raping a vulnerable colleague and sexually assaulting two other young women while working in the care sector.

The crimes were not only violent but   manipulative. Paul threatened one victim with dismissal if she refused to comply with his demands, a chilling abuse of power that highlights the vulnerability of employees in hierarchical workplaces. His words or daring a colleague to “do what I want or lose your job” exemplify the coercion and psychological torment he inflicted. This was not a momentary lapse but a calculated exploitation of trust and authority, leaving lasting scars on those he targeted.

What makes this case even more disturbing is Paul’s attempt to evade justice. In 2019, when he was due to stand trial, he fled Scotland under the guise of visiting his ill father in Kochi, India. A warrant was swiftly issued for his arrest, but he managed to remain at large for years. It was only in February 2025 that authorities finally apprehended him in Delhi, leading to his extradition back to Scotland. His flight from justice underscores both his awareness of guilt and his disregard for accountability, prolonging the suffering of his victims who had to wait years for closure.

The High Court in Glasgow, where Paul was sentenced, emphasized the gravity of his offenses.

The nearly eight-year sentence reflects the seriousness of the crimes, though many in the community argue that no prison term can truly compensate for the trauma inflicted.

The case has reignited debates about safeguarding measures in care homes, the vulnerability of employees in such environments, and the need for stronger protections against workplace exploitation.

This editorial is not just about one man’s depravity but about the systemic failures that allowed such abuse to occur. Care homes are meant to be sanctuaries of compassion and dignity, yet Paul turned his workplace into a site of fear and violation. His actions betray the very ethos of nursing and caregiving, professions built on trust, empathy, and responsibility.

The fact that he was able to manipulate and threaten colleagues without immediate detection raises urgent questions about oversight and reporting mechanisms in the care sector.

Ultimately, Paul’s conviction is a reminder of the resilience of survivors who came forward despite the risks and the trauma. Their courage ensured that justice was eventually served, even after years of delay. Yet the case also serves as a stark warning: institutions must do more to protect vulnerable workers and ensure that predators cannot exploit positions of authority unchecked.

Justice has been delivered, but the scars remain, and the lessons must not be ignored.