Legal Analysis By Attorneys
Breaking Legal News
Elmire physician’s assistant Christopher Mu has been accused of having a sexual relationship with a patient who was under his care while he was working at the Loyola Recovery Center in Steuben County. The 48-year-old physician’s assistant has been charged with felony third-degree rape.
According to the authorities, the inappropriate sexual relationship occurred while Mu was working at the substance abuse recovery center in Hornell. The patient was directly under Mu’s care at the center.
Mu was brought to the Steuben County Centralized Arraignment after his arrest and was released on Tuesday pending a future court date. This investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by the New York State Justice Center, New York Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New York State Police.
Anyone with information related to this case has been asked to contact the New York State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation office at 585-728-5007.
Attorney contributor Laurence Banville of Banville Law represents victims of sexual assault in civil lawsuits. We’ve asked Laurence to share some thoughts regarding the legal rights of those who have been sexually assaulted by a physician or other healthcare professionals:
Healthcare professionals have a responsibility to provide their patients with the best possible care and to respect professional boundaries. Most healthcare workers conduct themselves professionally and with respect, but this field also has had widespread issues with sexual abuse of patients.
When a healthcare professional crosses the line by sexually assaulting a patient, that patient needs to be aware of their legal rights. In many cases, patients are unable to consent to sexual activity with healthcare professionals due to the nature of the professional relationship between the two individuals.
Some cases of healthcare professional sexual assault may result in a lawsuit. Depending on the circumstances of the assault, the patient may have grounds for legal action against their abuser or the facility where the abuse occurred. A healthcare facility can be held liable for the sexual assault of a patient if the facility was negligent, such as by failing to investigate previous complaints of sexual misconduct involving an employee.
If you or a loved one has been sexually assaulted by a healthcare professional, you can learn more about your legal options by speaking with an experienced sexual assault survivors lawyer.
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