A Wisconsin judge reprimanded a nurse who had sex with patients during a sentencing hearing and later admitted to falsely accusing them of sexual assault, calling it “an embarrassment to nurses everywhere.”
that woman, Melissa KnutsonOn Friday, February 27, she was sentenced to one year and six months in prison for allegedly sexually assaulting a patient attending drug court, the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office announced in a news release on Monday, March 2.
Knutson, 30, is accused of having sex with patients on multiple occasions while working as a nurse in Monroe County. Police did not indicate whether the victim was male or female.
The judge before pronouncing the verdict Paul Curran Knutson was found guilty of official misconduct and obstruction after she pleaded no contest to both charges, according to the district attorney’s office.
The district attorney’s office said Curran sentenced Knudsen to two years of extended supervision in addition to her 18-month sentence on the misconduct charge. She was also sentenced to a concurrent 180-day jail sentence for obstructing law enforcement.
Curran described Knutson’s actions as “despicable” in court.
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in a statement US Weekly On Tuesday, March 3, Knutson’s defense attorney, Meredith Davissaid “Melissa Knutson was more than a picture,” adding that she “was a mother, wife, daughter and friend.”
“As a nurse, Melissa spent many years caring for the sickest people in the community with compassion and professionalism,” Davis added. “She is praised by colleagues, supervisors and patients’ families for always listening and trying to understand the whole person, not just the medical condition.”
Knutson was eventually reported to the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services because she allegedly had sexual relations with patients, according to the district attorney’s office.
Knutson later claimed she was sexually assaulted by them, according to authorities.
The Monroe County District Attorney said police are treating this as a serious allegation Kevin Croninger.
During the course of the investigation, police eventually discovered evidence that Knudsen had lied, Croninger said.
The District Attorney’s Office said Knutson later “admitted that she was not sexually assaulted but fabricated the allegation to avoid consequences for her sexual conduct with the patient/participant.”
“The harm caused by Ms. Knutson is deep and significant,” Croninger said in a statement.
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“Not only did she violate the sacred trust between patients and nurses, she compounded the situation by falsely accusing the patient of sexual assault,” Croninger added. “This situation is particularly egregious given that the patient in this case was a drug court participant.”
davis told us Knutson’s patient allegedly “manipulated and threatened her to the point where she sought and received a restraining order against him.”
Davis also said that when Knutson “asked the police for help, the investigation quickly turned against her…”
Davies added: “We are appalled by this cruel and disproportionate outcome for first-time, non-violent offenders and are appalled by the crude and unnecessary sexual innuendo used in the sentencing court hearing, which undermines the dignity of the court and undermines women’s lived experience of coercive control in relationships.”
Croninger ultimately praised Curran for Knutson’s sentence.
“Judge Curran was extremely concerned about the serious harm caused to Ms. Knutson and his sentence reflects that severity,” Croninger said.
