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| Dr. Earl Bradley Arrest Photo |
What's worse than a child molester? A child molester who is a pediatrician.
Dr. Earl Bradley, a Delaware pediatrician....well, EX-pediatrician, was convicted earlier this week in Sussex Superior Court on all 24 counts of rape, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation involving over 100 girls he treated in his practice. Most of his victims were toddlers....unable to tell anyone of the abuse. There were even 16 hours of video of the abuse recorded by the perpetrator himself!! Now, his lawyers are filing motions to have this evidence thrown out!!
One of the big questions that has been raised is, "where were the parents and why did they leave their little kids alone with this man?" Let's be very careful in criticizing the parents. This is EXTREMELY rare for a pediatrician to engage in such heinous, despicable, and grotesque acts with their patients. We are all inclined to trust our doctor's and our children's doctors.
Parents place a great deal of trust in their child's pediatrician, giving them medications/drugs that they are prescribed, trusting their medical advise, etc. This trust is the very foundation of ANY doctor-patient relationship. So in that respect it is understandable that parents would leave their small child alone with the pediatrician.
As a practice, pediatricians ask parents to leave the room during well child exams once they are somewhere between 10 and 12, depending on the office. This is done so pediatricians can talk to kids and reassure them that they can talk to their physician confidentially.
There are certainly appropriate times for a physician to request speaking to a child alone and performing a genital exam alone, but this is in older, verbal pre-teens and teens. But even in this age group, as a practice, I do the entire physical exam during a well child exam in the presence of the parent THEN I ask the child (10-17 years old) if he/she would prefer to do the private part of the exam with their parent in the room or if they want them to leave. They almost always want parents to leave at that age, but I give them the option. In the case of females, I offer the girl to have one of my female colleagues perform the private part of the exam.
Except under extraordinarily unusual circumstances, a physician requesting to be ALONE with a child too young to talk or a non-verbal child due to medical/psychiatric issues of any age is a HUGE red flag. Genital exams are a necessary part of the well-child exam. This part of the exam should be very brief in all but a few circumstances and, in my mind, should never be performed alone by a physician in any non-verbal child.
A genital exam should only be done at well-child exams, or if a specific concern raised by the parent or patient of a genital issue. Genital exams performed at visits other than a well-child/sports physical exam or when concerns are specifically raised by the parent/patient for a problem of the genital area should raise concern/red flags that something is amiss.
There are very important medical/developmental reasons for genital exams at all well-child exams. However, in my opinion, there really is no medical reason for a physician to request or perform such an exam ALONE on an infant, toddler, small child, or non-verbal child of any age. If, as a parent, you get that feeling that something isn't right, ASK. That is absolutely your right. ASK...."Why do you need to do that test?" "What's the reason for this?" "Why are you doing that?" Even if nothing is wrong, ask questions...that is why we are there as pediatricians. It's your right and responsibility to ask questions. It is our responsibility to answer them with the most up to date, accurate information available in a caring, compassionate manner.
This "man" (I use the term VERY loosely) has done unimaginable, possibly irreparable, harm to these children and their families. He has violated a sacred, yes I mean sacred, trust. How can these children and parents trust another pediatrician after this horrific man?? How can the people of their community trust ANY pediatrician?? How can many of you who have followed this story ever really trust you own child's pediatrician??
Fortunately, it looks like this predator will be in prison for a very long time....HOPEFULLY. The only fear I have is somehow the sick lawyers find a way to get the videos deemed inadmissible on some stupid technicality and get a new trial. BUT, even if that happens and nightmarish acquittal should result (which I SERIOUSLY doubt and hope), he will never practice medicine again.
State Medical Boards do not need a conviction to revoke his license and their burden of proof is not "beyond a reasonable doubt." The mere fact that these videos exist whether admissible in a CRIMINAL court, they are plenty to insure that he NEVER practices medicine again for the rest of his miserable life. He will NEVER be able to abuse another child under the guise of ......PEDIATRICIAN.
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| Dr. Richard Allen Turner Springfield, Ohio Pediatrician |
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