Legal Analysis By Attorneys
Breaking Legal News
A Peoria dental assistant was arrested in March 2018 after two women came forward with allegations of sexual abuse. 41-year-old Oscar Castro has worked at multiple dental offices in the Peoria area over the past five years. He has been charged with 12 counts of sexual abuse.
According to the authorities, two women contacted police and told them that Castro had sexually abused them multiple times in 2017 during appointments at a Peoria dental practice. Police then detained Castro and eventually arrested and charged him.
Police have not made public the dentist offices where Peoria worked.
Authorities believe that there could be additional victims and have asked anyone with related information to contact them at 623-773-8311.
Attorney contributor Kevin Biniazin represents survivors of sexual violence in civil cases, helping them find justice and support. We’ve asked him to share some input regarding the legal options available to survivors of sexual abuse by medical professionals:
We expect medical professionals to be honorable and trustworthy, and most of them are. But in any field that involves working from a position of trust, there is a high potential for abuse by sexual predators. These predators seek out positions in fields like healthcare, education, and religion and exploit their trust in order to commit heinous crimes of sexual violence. The survivors of these crimes deserve justice. This is why it’s important to make sure both the perpetrator and any negligent third parties are held accountable.
In many cases of sexual abuse involving medical professionals, both the abuser and their employer are at fault. For example, a healthcare facility might be considered negligent and held liable for the abuse of patients if they hired an employee with a history of sexual misconduct because they failed to run a background check. When negligence is found to have played a role in enabling abuse, the victims and their families likely have grounds for a lawsuit.
If you or a loved one is a survivor of sexual abuse by a medical professional, we understand the difficult emotions your family is struggling with. To learn more about how your family can find justice through the legal system, contact one of our experienced sexual abuse survivors attorneys for a free consultation.
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