纽约知名医疗机构韦尔康奈尔医学院与美国联邦政府达成自愿合规协议，结束了针对该机构的刑事调查[1]。根据协议条款，该机构将投入3000万美元创建患者安全与赋权研究所，以加强性虐待预防计划[1]。
该机构医生达里乌斯·帕杜克因在2009年至2019年间对患者进行性虐待被定罪，受害者包括年仅13岁的男孩[1]。2024年，59岁的帕杜克被判处终身监禁，法官表示这是她首次在非必要情况下作出此类判罚[1]。韦尔康奈尔医学院已同意支付超过10亿美元与民事受害者和解[1]。
美国律师杰伊·克莱顿表示这份协议向所有医疗机构传达了明确信号[1]。
Weill Cornell Medicine, a prominent New York healthcare institution, has entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with the federal government that concludes a criminal investigation into sexual abuse by one of its physicians [1]. Under the settlement, the institution must invest $30 million to establish the Institute for Safe Patient Care and Patient Empowerment, aimed at strengthening sexual abuse prevention programs [1].
The investigation centered on Darius Paduch, a 59-year-old doctor who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2024 for sexually abusing patients between 2009 and 2019 [1]. Among his victims was a boy as young as 13 years old [1]. A judge noted that this was the first time she had imposed a life sentence in a non-mandatory case [1]. In addition to the criminal resolution, Weill Cornell Medicine has agreed to pay over $1 billion to settle civil claims brought by victims [1]. According to U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, the agreement sends a clear message to all healthcare institutions about the need for robust safeguards against abuse [1].