After Years of Sexual Abuse Allegations, How did this doctor keep working?

The article title After Years of Sexual Abuse Allegations, How did this doctor keep working? really caught my attention because this is something we almost never hear. In the first paragraph, it is mentioned that a patient who suffered from really bad migraines went to see a doctor who specialized in them because she had little hope before, when Ricardo Cruciani at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York offered to treat her they said Ms. Johnson’s first words were “Finally, a doctor who cares”. As months went by, Dr. Cruciani increased the doses and added medications. As Ms. Johnson became dependent on these drugs, the doctor became more aggressive towards her by groping and masturbating in front of her. He then forced her to perform oral sex. The sickest part about it, was when Ms. Johnson refused or resisted to do so, the doctor would refuse to refill her medications. Ms. Johnson then tells us, “the first week of opioid withdrawals is like death” which really killed me to hear considering the doctor is the one to blame for her feeling the way she does.

Unfortunately, Ms. Johnson was not the first victim. Even as complaints piled up, Dr. Cruciani was still able to successfully land job to job in three different states over ten years time. He was finally charged with sexual assault in Pennsylvania, registering as a sex offender and surrounding his medical license in a plea agreement in 2017. Overall, this article really makes me sick to my stomach. Considering doctor’s are people you’re supposed to trust especially sense they have the power to medicate you. This article is extremely terrifying and makes me want to be more cautious. Ms. Johnson just wanted a cure for her migraines and in return was sexual harassed and pressured into doing sexual activities. I’m glad he got what he deserved and will no longer be able to do this to anyone else.