CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - Three more women who say they were sexually assaulted by a Chicago gynecologist are demanding justice.
Attorney Josie Raimond spoke Wednesday at a downtown news conference.
She said hundreds of women were assaulted during examinations by OB-GYN Dr. Fabio Ortega over the course of many years.
“We represent women who Fabio Ortega sexually assaulted right after giving birth ,” Raimond said. “We represent women who were sexually assaulted when they were seeking medical care. We represent women who were sexually assaulted by Fabio Ortega when they were going to the gynecologist for their very first pap smear.”
About three dozen former patients have now sued Ortega, and the hospitals where he worked, NorthShore and Swedish, now under Endeavor Health, but only two women’s allegations were criminally prosecuted.Ortega pleaded guilty and is serving a one-year sentence.
Attorney Stephan Blandin said the allegations against Dr. Fabio Ortega are troubling and go back many years.
“Doctor Ortega, when he pled guilty in these cases, was in his early 70s,” Blandin said. “I don’t believe that he woke up in his 70s and started molesting his patients. And, as we know, from the dates, from the treatment, from the time periods, this has been going on for decades. Northshore knew about it, and their response to it has been to change their name to Endeavor Health Systems."
Lawyers are also calling on Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to re-open the criminal investigation.
Ericka Matos said Ortega assaulted her.
“It was like a horrible movie . After I talked to [attorney] Tamara [Holder], then I said, ‘ok, I’m not going to cry, I just want him in jail.’” Matos recalled.
Endeavor Health released a statement to WBBM:
“As a healthcare provider, there is nothing more important than providing a safe and trusted environment for our patients, community and team members. It’s a responsibility we take very seriously. We have absolutely no tolerance for abuse of any kind.
We remain committed to reviewing individual claims and engaging in a process that allows for meaningful response to each individual impacted to reach a supportive resolution. The past events that have been reported are incredibly upsetting and concerning, and we recognize the tremendous strength and courage it takes for survivors of abuse to come forward. Fabio Ortega is not affiliated with Endeavor Health and has not provided care at any of our facilities in more than six years. Since these events, we underwent a rigorous process to review and enhance our policies across all of our hospitals and care sites to ensure we have an environment that supports reporting of threatened or actual abuse, including review by a system-wide oversight committee. We investigate all allegations of abuse that are reported to us, take prompt action in all matters and fully cooperate with law enforcement. Due to confidentiality and privacy reasons, we are unable to provide comment on the specifics of individual claims.”
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