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A male doctor employed by La Caja, Costa Rica’s public healthcare system, is currently taking safety precautions after being accused of rape by the wife of an inmate serving a prison sentence at La Reforma, the nation’s largest correctional facility.

According to a report filed by Manuel Estrada of daily tabloid Diario Extra, a woman by the last name of Zeledon has filed a criminal complaint against a gynecologist assigned to the San Rafael Hospital in Alajuela. The news report published by Diario Extra explains that Ms. Zeledon recently arrived at La Reforma, also located in the province of Alajuela, to enjoy a conjugal visit with her husband. Ms. Zeledon has apprently made this type of visitation several times in the past; this time, however, she was singled out for allegedly bringing drugs into prison.

In her complaint, Ms. Zeledon claims that she arrived before 2:00 pm for the conjugal visit, and that she was placed in a line so that a Rambo, a K-9 officer, could sniff her purse and other belongings that are allowed in these visits, such as sheets, towels, prophylactics, lubricants, marital aids, hygiene products, etc. Although the K-9 officer did not detect anything at that point, Ms. Zeledon claims that all other visitors were allowed to enter while she was taken to an isolated cubicle, where she was informed by three male corrections officers that she had been singled out as a drug smuggler. At that point they brought the K-9 Rambo back to sniff around her genitals and rectum. Once again, there was no detection.

The woman was reportedly taken to the prosecutor’s office near downtown Alajuela, where she was subject to an X-ray examination, which did not reveal anything unusual. The prosecutors did not file charges and released the woman back to the custody of the corrections officers, who took her to the San Rafael Hospital, a busy public medical center in Costa Rica. At that point, the woman began to complain, which resulted in handcuffs being applied.

Once at the hospital, a gynecologist was informed that Rambo and an X-ray examination had failed to produce evidence of drug smuggling; nonetheless, the doctor left the patient he was seeing at that time and proceeded to conduct a vaginal and anal examination on Ms. Zeledon, who then complained of rape. The presence of a female medical staff member during this examination was not reported by Diario Extra.

Ms. Zeledon has filed a criminal complaint against the doctor as well as a civil lawsuit. Due to recent investigations into a number of alleged contract killings ordered by prisoners within La Reforma, the identity of the doctor is being withheld.