FEDERAL JURY CONVICTS DISGRACED UROLOGIST DR. DARIUS PADUCH WITH FELONY COUNTS OF HEINOUS PATIENT SEX ABUSE
Dr. Darius Paduch was found GUILTY by a federal jury in New York today, May 8th, 2024. Dr. Paduch, a former urologist at New York-Presbyterian’s Weill Cornell Medical Center and Northwell Health, was found guilty on numerous felony counts of sexually assaulting and abusing his patients. The victims who testified at the trial represent a small fraction of the hundreds of former patients who were abused by Dr. Paduch during his time at these two trusted institutions. Following the guilty verdict against Dr. Paduch, PCVA Partner, Mallory Allen, who represents over 140 survivors that have filed civil claims against the disgraced doctor, released the following statement in response to the jury’s verdict:
“Justice was served today as the jury rightfully found Dr. Paduch guilty of repeated and disturbing sexual assault of his patients,” said Allen. “For nearly twenty years, patients who trusted him for their medical care and treatment were instead brutalized by his degrading, sexually violating, and medically unfounded acts while the hospitals where he worked looked the other way. The jury verdict in the criminal case affirms that these heinous acts will not be overlooked, and the pending civil cases will ensure the institutions who repeatedly prioritized profits over their patients will face consequences for their indifference in ignoring years of complaints.”
Last April, the Department of Justice issued an indictment against Dr. Darius Paduch for his repeated misuse of his position of power as a medical professional to sexually exploit and abuse patients who trusted him for their medical treatment. The victims in the indictment, many of whom were children at the time, were sexually abused by Dr. Paduch throughout the course of their examinations in various ways, such as fondling their genitals, masturbating them with his ungloved hands, exposing them to pornography, penetrating them with his ungloved fingers and with other devices, and engaging in other sexually explicit and violating behavior performed under the guise of diagnosing and treating their medical concerns.
Both New York-Presbyterian and Northwell Health received numerous complaints about Dr. Paduch’s abuse, but ignored these concerns and allowed Dr. Paduch to continue seeing patients.
How did Dr. Paduch abuse his victims?
Educated in Poland and the United States, Dr. Paduch began his medical career in the early 2000s and worked at New York-Presbyterian Hospital / Weill Cornell Medical Center for many years as a urologist specializing in male infertility and sexual dysfunction. He moved to Northwell Health in Long Island in 2019.
Dr. Paduch exploited patients in his examination room under the pretense of providing medical treatment.
Like many other sexual predators, Dr. Paduch veiled his abuse and assault as something legitimate or harmless, and given his position at highly respected institutions, patients trusted him completely.
Dr. Paduch also touted himself as an expert in a genetic condition called Klinefelter Syndrome (or “XXY”) – a condition where a male child is born with an extra X chromosome. With the support of the hospitals where he worked, Dr. Paduch was able to convince the families of dozens of children who had been diagnosed with XXY to treat with him. Instead of providing these children with the care they desperately needed, he sexually abused them.
I feel like I was violated by Dr. Paduch, but does it merit filing a lawsuit?
Dr. Paduch exploited his position as a physician and masked his abuse as medical treatment.
Even if there is no outward injury to the body, sexual abuse causes serious injury.
The effects of sexual violence by a physician can include:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Flashbacks
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Dissociation
- Panic attacks
- Substance abuse
- Disordered sleep
- Sexual dysfunction
- Relationship issues
- Trust issues and fear of medical professionals
These are serious issues that can harm a person’s ability to work, study, maintain relationships and enjoy their lives the way they used to.
Who is responsible for Dr. Paduch’s sexual abuse?
In New York, a doctor’s employer has a responsibility to ensure that patients are safe when seeking treatment and using its facilities. The employer should be held responsible if the employer either knew or should have known that the employee posed a danger.
On behalf of over 130 former patients, PCVA is suing Weill Cornell, NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital, and Northwell Health because PCVA has evidence that each of these institutions knew that Dr. Paduch posed a danger to patients because its own employees and other patients reported concerning conduct for years. Despite those repeated reported concerns, these institutions took no action to protect their patients.
How long do I have to file a lawsuit in New York if I was sexually assaulted or abused?
While both the Child Victims Act and the New York Adult Survivors Act provided new deadlines for survivors of sexual abuse to file lawsuits regarding abuse they suffered years prior, both the CVA and ASA “filing windows” have now closed.
But survivors may still be able to file a lawsuit. If a survivor was abused as a child, and the abuse occurred after 2018 or the survivor was under the age of 21 as of February 14, 2018, that child survivor has a right to file a lawsuit until the age of 55.
If a survivor was abused as an adult, and the abuse occurred in the last three years, a lawsuit can be filed. If the abuse occurred earlier, the legislature has and may again consider legislation which would either re-open the filing window, or permanently reform the statute of limitations. We are happy to speak to anyone about their options and rights.
Our Case Results
PCVA has a lengthy history of pursuing damages from institutions that employed professionals who abused their positions of authority to sexually assault children and adults.
Learn more here about our cases against Dr. Paduch and its most recent developments here:
$8M Settlement Reached in Foss Home and Village Sex Abuse Lawsuit
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$4.9M Settlement Reached in Toutle River Boys Ranch Sex Abuse Lawsuit
$4.2M Settlement Reached in Coach Sexual Abuse Case Against University Place School District
Additional Resources for Survivors of Abuse
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1.800.656.HOPE (4673)
RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network): https://www.rainn.org/
State Law Database: https://www.rainn.org/public-policy-action
Media coverage about Dr. Paduch lawsuits
UES Doctor Found Guilty Of Sexually Abusing Patients, Patch, 5/15/2024
Huge Payouts Pressure Hospitals to Address Doc Sex Abuse, Law360, 5/14/2024
Long Island urologist Dr. Darius Paduch convicted of sexually abusing patients, Newsday, 5/9/2024
Dr. Darius Paduch faces life in prison for sexually abusing patients, Crain’s New York Business, 5/8/2024
‘Sadistic’ NYC Doc Darius Paduch Convicted of Rampant Sexual Abuse of Patients, Daily Beast, 5/8/2024
“We’re hopeful that the legislature takes a hard look at the Dr. Paduch cases, and comes to the conclusion that people need more time,” Allen said. “It is incredibly difficult for survivors of sexual abuse to come forward, and it takes time.”, Crains New York Business, 11/29/23
A final wave of sex-abuse lawsuits as one-year window closes in New York, The New York Times, 11//27/23
‘They are failing their patients’: Survivors of NYC doctors accused of abuse demand institutional accountability Gothamist, 11/6/23
Doctor Is Charged With Sexually Abusing 2 Patients When They Were Minors, The New York Times, 4/11/23 New York urologist accused of rampant sexual abuse of patients, CBS New York, 4/11/23
Urologist accused of patient sex abuse, including of minors, ABC News, 4/11/23
NYC urologist accused of sexually abusing patients, Gothamist, 4/11/23
Manhattan urologist, 55, is sued after telling seven male patients – including two minors – to masturbate while he played porn, performing rectal exams without gloves and using sex toys, Daily Mail, 4/12/23
Survivor of New York urologist charged with sexually abusing patients says he spoke out so the doctor ‘had no more opportunities to abuse anyone’, Insider, 4/12/23
Doctor sexually assaulted children and played porn during physical exams, feds say, Belleville News-Democrat, 4/12/23
Who is Darius Paduch? Urologist Accused of Sexual Abuse of Patients, SDGLN, 4/12/23
Prominent New York urologist charged with serial sex assaults against patients, including minors, Fox News, 4/11/23
‘Abuse of his patients ends today’: Urologist at ‘prominent’ hospitals federally indicted after lawsuits allege disturbing sex crimes, Law & Crime, 4/12/23
Doctor sexually assaulted children and played porn during physical exams, feds say, Tri-City Herald, 4/13/23
New York Urologist Charged With Sexually Abusing Patients, LongIsland.com, 4/13/23
Accused sex-abuse doc sued by 4 more men in NYC, New York Post, 2/13/23
Manhattan urologist sexually abused 16-year-old high school intern, lawsuit claims, New York Post, 12/13/22