HARTFORD – Arrest warrants for nine employees at Whiting Forensic Division of the Connecticut Valley Hospital allege a repeated pattern of abuse against a patient last week.

State Rep. Heather Somers held a news conference Tuesday afternoon on the alleged abuses that took place at the state-funded psychiatric facility after a letter from the Public Health Committee, co-chaired by  Somers, was sent to the Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services.

The patient at the center of the abuse is a 62-year-old man who’s treatment orders called for a two-on-one staff to patient ration and 24-hour a day supervision.  There was video camera located in his room for patient monitoring.

Time line of abuse from arrest warrants: 

Nine staff members were arrested in early September following a state police investigation into the matter.

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (WTNH)– A “culture of cruelty.” That’s how State Senator Heather Somers is describing allegations of patient abuse at Connecticut’s maximum security psychiatric hospital in Middletown.

Sen. Somers co-chairs the state’s public health committee. She is calling for a public hearing by the end of the month on all matters concerning the Whiting Forensic Division.

Related Content: 9 employees of Connecticut Valley Hospital face charges after allegedly abusing patient

Somers is looking to address abuse claims that led to arrests of nine workers on felony cruelty charges.

“I think it’s imperative that we get to the root cause of how this abuse was allowed to happen, and why such a breakdown occurred,” Somers said. “To make sure that procedures are in place and adhered to so nothing like this ever happens again in the state of Connecticut.”

Thirty-one workers are also suspended in the patient abuse scandal, and more arrests are expected.