New York, NY - Former Rockefeller University Hospital Doctor Reginald Archibald Accused of Sexually Abusing Patients

Several Former Patients Accuse Doctor of Child Sex Abuse

A longtime physician at Rockefeller University Hospital has been accused of sexually abusing several young patients while he was working at the hospital from the late 1940s until the 1980s. Dr. Reginald Archibald, who passed away in 2007, mainly worked with children who had growth problems.

According to a report by CBS New York, the hospital was aware of some of the allegations for decades, but only recently admitted that hundreds of patients may have been abused by Archibald.

The hospital confirmed that in 2004, a former patient reported that they were sexually abused. However, the hospital only released a statement regarding that abuse this month. The hospital claims that it referred this allegation to federal authorities and hired a law firm to investigate. This law firm discovered other allegations which were reported to the hospital in the 1990s.

Rockefeller University Hospital has announced plans to provide counseling and support for survivors of child sexual abuse by Dr. Archibald.

Legal Recourse For Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Doctors

Attorney contributor Laurence Banville specializes in helping survivors of sexual violence come forward and seek justice. We’ve asked him to add some insight into the legal options available to those who have been sexually abused by doctors and other medical professionals left wondering “is a hospital liable for sexual abuse?“:

Doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals are some of the most trusted members of our communities. When we need medical care at a hospital or doctor’s office, we all expect that these professionals will treat us with the attention and respect we deserve. But unfortunately, some medical professionals are sexual predators who see their positions of trust as a means to sexually abuse their patients.

When patients come forward with allegations of sexual assault by a medical professional, there are several things to consider. It’s important to make sure that the perpetrator is arrested, that the survivors get the support they need, and that, if applicable, the hospital or medical facility is held accountable for failing to prevent the abuse.

In some cases of doctor-patient sexual abuse, the doctor’s employer was negligent in a way that enabled the abuse to occur. An example of such negligence would be a hospital failing to follow up on previous allegations of sexual abuse, which opened the door for other patients to be abused by the same employee.

If you or someone you love has been sexually abused by a medical professional, you can learn more about your legal options by speaking to one of our experienced sexual abuse survivor lawyers.