US neurologist escapes jail for alleged serial sexual assaults but faces more accusers
BMJ 2017; 359 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.j5474 (Published 24 November 2017) Cite this as: BMJ 2017;359:j5474- Owen Dyer
- Montreal
A neurologist who used his specialized knowledge of rare diseases to trap female patients into abusive doctor-patient relationships has escaped jail in a Pennsylvania court but will never practice again. He also faces live police investigations in two other US states where he previously worked.
Ricardo Cruciani, 63, pleaded guilty to indecent assault, indecent exposure, and harassment charges relating to seven patients he saw in 2016 while he was chair of Drexel University’s neurology department in Philadelphia. Under a plea agreement he will serve seven years’ probation, register as a sex offender, and forfeit his medical license. He was fired from Drexel in March.
Police are investigating complaints from 10 other women over alleged abuse by Cruciani in previous jobs, …
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