Trial opens for former Virginia hospital medical director accused of sexual abuse of ex-patients

NEW KENT, Va. -- The erstwhile longtime aesculapian manager of a Virginia infirmary that serves susceptible children utilized carnal examinations arsenic a “ruse” to sexually maltreatment 2 teenage patients, a authoritative said Monday, portion the physician's lawyer “adamantly” denied immoderate inappropriate conduct.

The proceedings of Daniel N. Davidow of Richmond, who for decades served arsenic the aesculapian manager of the Cumberland Hospital for Children and Adolescents, opened Monday greeting successful New Kent County, wherever a justice volition measurement the charges against him.

Davidow, on with the infirmary and its genitor company, faces a abstracted civilian proceeding successful which dozens of erstwhile patients person accused him of inappropriate touching, allegations helium besides has denied. He was criminally charged successful December 2022 with 4 felony counts successful transportation with allegations made by 2 of those erstwhile patients.

The young women, who were teenagers erstwhile they were admitted to Cumberland, some testified Monday, saying Davidow groped their breasts and genitals during a carnal introspection arsenic portion of the admissions process.

“I teared up. I was successful shock,” 1 pistillate told the court.

One pistillate said the maltreatment continued successful consequent exams, and the different said she had summation encounters successful which Davidow touched her inappropriately oregon made her uncomfortable.

T. Scott Renick, the apical authoritative successful New Kent County eastbound of Richmond, wherever the infirmary is located, said successful his opening connection that the girls were successful highly susceptible conditions, surviving without their parents oregon different caregivers astatine the residential installation that specializes successful analyzable cases and sometimes takes patients from different states nether tribunal order.

“The information is that the alleged exams were a ruse” to interaction the 2 girls inappropriately, Renick said, adding that arsenic the aesculapian manager for the facility, “He had implicit power implicit them.”

Cooley said Davidow “adamantly” denies the allegations. He said different clinicians who had been successful the country with Davidow during exams arsenic a chaperone volition attest that they ne'er saw immoderate inappropriate touching of either erstwhile patient, and helium described Davidow arsenic a dedicated doc committed to helping adjacent the astir hard oregon medically analyzable children.

Cooley besides raised concerns astir the erstwhile patients' motivations, noting that they are each seeking galore millions of dollars successful the pending civilian matter.

“They person an involvement successful the result of this case,” helium said.

One of the erstwhile patients told Cooley during a pointed speech that she was unfamiliar with the ineligible strategy and ne'er acceptable retired to triumph compensation. She engaged with the attorneys representing her successful the civilian lawsuit due to the fact that she thought they could assistance her “by getting justice," she testified.

The Associated Press is not naming either pistillate due to the fact that it mostly does not place those who accidental they person been sexually assaulted.

Near the extremity of Monday's hearing, aft the prosecution rested its case, Cooley — a well-known Virginia defence lawyer — made an unsuccessful question to onslaught the charges, raising concerns astir the women's credibility and discrepancies betwixt assorted accounts they had fixed astir the alleged misconduct.

“We person these accusations, but they change,” helium said.

Renick responded that Cooley was trying to “get america each disconnected successful the woods” by noting what helium characterized arsenic insignificant differences successful accounts they'd given. Inconsistencies oregon additions to the testimonies of victims are normal, helium said.

“When kids travel guardant and they disclose successful these situations it's not ever each astatine once,” helium said.

Davidow, 71, pleaded not blameworthy to 2 counts of a felony indecent liberties complaint and 2 counts of entity intersexual penetration, besides a felony.

Cumberland, located astir a half-hour's drive, eastbound of Richmond, treats children and young adults with analyzable aesculapian needs, including chronic illnesses, encephalon injuries and neurobehavioral disorders. Cooley described it arsenic unsocial successful the state for the benignant of cases it takes on, accepting diligent referrals from astir the world, helium said.

Cooley, who listed astir 3 twelve witnesses who whitethorn beryllium called, was expected to statesman presenting his defence Tuesday.

He declined to remark aft Monday's hearing, arsenic did attorneys representing the erstwhile patients successful the civilian case.

Virginia State Police began investigating unit astatine the infirmary successful October 2017, a spokeswoman has said, and Davidow is astatine slightest the 3rd erstwhile Cumberland staffer to beryllium charged with a transgression successful transportation with a patient.

One, a psychotherapist, was charged with sexually abusing a diligent and died by termination the aforesaid time helium was owed successful tribunal for a plea hearing. The other, a behavioral technician, was sentenced to a twelvemonth successful situation aft pleading nary contention to an allegation that she intentionally burned a disabled kid with scalding water.

Five plaintiffs successful the civilian case, which has survived an effort by the defendants to person it dismissed and different effort to person its claims pared backmost nether the state's aesculapian malpractice law, are acceptable for proceedings successful September.