NEW YORK – A jury hearing Monday on evidence against a former New York gynecologist accused of sexually abusing nearly 150 patients can “revoke” and “convict” him, but should acquit him of federal charges that he abused women enticed him to cross state lines to be abused for “I don’t know where they’re from,” his attorney said in an opening statement.
Defense attorney Deirdre Von Dornum told jurors early in the Manhattan trial of Robert Hadden, 64, that her client pleaded guilty to charges seven years ago and admitted to sexually abusing patients. She said he has not treated any patients in the past ten years.
“The allegations are horrifying and shocking,” she said, warning jurors not to encourage them to feel sorry for Hadden and telling them to listen carefully to the women who are testifying about the abuse and to hear what they are saying .
She said the “question is not whether inappropriate activity or sexual abuse took place”.
Instead, she said the jury should focus on the “specific, technical crime” he is charged with: whether he knowingly caused, persuaded, or coerced patients to cross state lines to be sexually abused in Las Vegas and Rockland County , New York, north of the city, through New Jersey.
Von Dornum said there was no evidence he knew in advance which patients to see on which days.
“Cancel him, convict him,” the attorney urged, before adding, “Don’t convict him of a crime he didn’t commit.”
Von Dornum addressed the jury after Assistant US Attorney Paul Monteleoni told them they would hear about Hadden sexually abusing the four women.
The indictment states that the abuse took place in doctors’ offices and hospitals in Manhattan while Hadden was a physician at Columbia University and New York Presbyterian Hospital. The two institutions have agreed to pay more than $165 million to 147 former patients who were abused by Hadden.
Monteleoni also described Hadden’s guilty plea in state court, saying he admitted during his pleading that his abuse was not an accident and had no valid medical purpose.
The Englewood, New Jersey resident was arrested on federal charges in 2020 after prosecutors accused him of sexually abusing young and unsuspecting patients for over two decades. He has been released on $1 million bail.
Prosecutors have described Hadden as a “predator in a white coat” and accused him of singled out young and unsuspecting victims, including a teenage girl he delivered at birth.
Monteleoni told the jury that several of Hadden’s victims would testify at the trial, along with nurses who said they saw Hadden inappropriately touching patients.
The prosecutor said the victims “have had experiences, in some cases, that they haven’t been able to talk about for years; experiences that have drawn them.”
He added, “These victims would give anything that this didn’t happen.”
“Objection!” shouted von Dornum.
“Overruled,” Judge Richard M. Berman replied.
Monteleoni called for the conviction of a doctor who he said attacked “patient after patient, year after year”.
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