What you should know
- A New York City jury has found a neurologist guilty of sexually assaulting patients in his care, among other crimes, prosecutors announced Friday.
- Ricardo Cruciani, 68, was convicted of one count of predatory sexual assault, one count of sexual abuse, one count of attempted rape, two counts of rape and seven counts of criminal sexual act in connection with six patients seeking medical expertise. to treat chronic diseases and debilitating pain disorders.
- The conviction comes after a months-long trial that also found Cruciani overprescribed opiates to treat pain and to keep patients in his care.
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NEW YORK — A New York City jury has found a neurologist guilty of sexually assaulting patients under his care, among other crimes, prosecutors announced Friday.
Ricardo Cruciani, 68, was convicted of one count of predatory sexual assault, one count of sexual abuse, one count of attempted rape, two counts of rape and seven counts of criminal sexual act in connection with six patients seeking medical expertise. to treat chronic diseases and debilitating pain disorders.
The conviction comes after a months-long trial that also found Cruciani overprescribed opiates to treat pain and to keep patients in his care.
Cruciani will be sentenced on September 14.
“Ricardo Cruciani abused his power as a medical professional and knowingly took advantage of his patients’ pain. We trust doctors to respect our bodies and our health when we turn to them for help, but Dr. Cruciani completely violated that duty. Dr. Cruciani left in his wake six survivors who continue to suffer from debilitating illnesses and now, years of trauma,” said District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Prosecutors claimed during the trial that Cruciani sexually manipulated and abused six patients at a New York City hospital and, later, at facilities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Ultimately, Cruciani allegedly developed a personal relationship with each patient, including discussion of personal issues and problems. Prosecutors say Cruciani began physical contact with his patients by stroking their hair, complimenting his appearance and giving them hugs. Over time, however, Cruciani ended up forcibly kissing women, touching them, and forcing them to perform oral sex and have sexual intercourse.
Prosecutors say Cruciani then forced his patients to perform sexual acts in order to receive prescriptions for painkillers that he overprescribed to the point of addiction, ensuring that his patients could not leave his care despite the abuse.
“When patients sought outpatient care, some doctors refused to see them because of the dangerously high doses they were prescribed. Survivors were left with opioid addictions, sexual trauma, and without adequate medical care for their extremely rare and painful conditions,” according to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
In addition to the charges he faced in New York, Cruciani was also arrested in October 2021 on similar federal charges alleging he was a serial sexual abuser of women who came to him for help with debilitating chronic pain. The abuse allegedly took place over 15 years at his offices in New York City, Philadelphia and Hopewell, New Jersey.
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