MEDICAL LAKE-- In November, KREM 2 uncovered the rape of a developmentally disabled patient at Eastern State Hospital in Medical Lake.
The victim's family has now reached a settlement in the lawsuit against the department of social and health services.
The victim was raped four years ago by another patient.
According to the victim's attorney, the $3 million settlement is the largest amount ever paid as a result of patient abuse at eastern state.
Last November Emmett and Amedee Marx spoke with KREM 2 News about their 29 year old developmentally disabled daughter.
KREM 2 news is calling their daughter “Laura" to protect her identity.
In 2008, Laura was raped by another patient at eastern state, Jesse Vasquez.
Amedee said, “She has been very much damaged by this rape being such a child. Such an emotional level of a child."
Marx family attorney David Moody says the hospital knew Vasquez was a violent predator, yet still let him roam free on hospital grounds. According to Moody, Vasquez assaulted a staff member; he exposed his genitals, and had sexual contact with two patients.
Moody also says Vasquez has pleaded guilty to multiple crimes throughout his history, and Eastern state had all his records coming in.
DSHS claims it did not know Vasquez was a felon and did not believe he posed a danger to female patients.
The state also denies Vasquez roamed free.
DSHS gave this statement in November: "while we do our best to limit inappropriate sexual contact or physical assaults between patients, there is no way we can absolutely prevent sexual contact among them."
The Marx family filed a lawsuit against DSHS, which was set for federal trial this spring. On Thursday, DSHS settled for $3 million.
The family originally sought more than $20 million.
DSHS says the settlement fairly compensates the victim.
In a statement released Thursday, DSHS claims: "the state's psychiatric hospitals are places of healing and recovery from mental illness. We try our best to ensure that our vulnerable patients are kept safe from inappropriate sexual and physical assaults…we regret that the assault happened on one of our patient wards."
Moody says both he and the family are pleased with the outcome.
