Norwell physician charged with sexually assaulting ladies throughout bodily exams

A former South Shore Medical Middle pediatrician is dealing with rape and assault prices after he allegedly sexually abused younger ladies throughout their annual bodily exams.

In line with courtroom information, two former sufferers got here ahead final month with allegations that Dr. Richard A. Kauff sexually assaulted them after they have been youngsters — accusations that date again greater than 20 years.

The Norwell physician is charged with 4 counts of kid rape with pressure and a dozen counts of indecent assault and battery on a baby underneath 14, courtroom information present. Kauff’s legal prices have been first reported by The Patriot Ledger. 

The accusations got here to gentle after one among Kauff’s alleged victims wrote an nameless put up within the Fb group “Mamas of the South Shore” final month, asking if it was regular for a pediatrician to insert their fingers right into a affected person’s vagina throughout an annual checkup, in keeping with a Norwell police report filed in Hingham District Court docket. 

The girl later advised detectives she lately started remedy and mentioned along with her therapist how she felt “uncomfortable” throughout childhood visits to the physician, police mentioned. When she defined what occurred throughout these appointments, the therapist stopped the session and suggested her to contact the police, in keeping with the report.

She reportedly advised police she left the remedy session feeling confused, which led to her Fb put up.

“The response she obtained from the put up was overwhelming in that what had occurred to her was not the norm,” a detective wrote within the report. 

One other girl replied to the put up and indicated that she’d had comparable experiences as a baby. Police mentioned the 2 girls — in any other case whole strangers — quickly found that Kauff was the frequent denominator.

Different commonalities emerged as each girls reported the alleged abuse to the Norwell Police Division, investigators mentioned.

One alleged that Kauff assaulted her throughout annual physicals between 1990 and 2002, beginning when she was about 7 years previous. The opposite advised police that the abuse began when she was about 8 years previous and lasted from 1998 to 2008, in keeping with the police report. 

Each girls allegedly advised investigators that Kauff would inform them to rely to 3 earlier than inserting his fingers, warning that it will really feel “like a rocket ship.” Additionally they denied having any diagnoses or illnesses that will require an inner vaginal examination, in keeping with the report. 

The ladies advised detectives that the alleged assaults occurred even when their mother and father have been within the room, accusing Kauff of positioning himself in such a method that his physique shielded his actions from view, police mentioned. 

In line with the police report, Norwell detectives consulted a pediatric sexual assault nurse examiner, “who said that an inner pelvic examination was not a standard or routine examination, nor ought to or not it’s achieved at a routine pediatric examination.”

Pediatrician had no historical past of disciplinary motion, information present

When efforts to achieve Kauff by telephone failed, a Norwell detective drove to the physician’s residence on Oct. 11 and tried to schedule a time for Kauff to talk with police. When Kauff discovered of the sexual assault allegations towards him, he “turned extraordinarily upset and didn’t perceive how this might be,” police mentioned. 

“Dr. Kauff said that he had practiced drugs for over forty years with no single difficulty,” in keeping with the report. 

Although he initially agreed to talk with police, Kauff later contacted a detective saying he had obtained authorized counsel and wouldn’t be coming all the way down to the station. Boston.com has reached out to Kauff’s lawyer for remark.

Kauff has not but entered a plea on the fees; he’s due for arraignment in Hingham District Court docket on Nov. 20. His profile on the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Drugs web site, in the meantime, reveals an energetic license and no file of disciplinary motion. 

In a weblog put up forward of his retirement from South Shore Medical Middle in July 2022, he described “a tremendously rewarding 39-year profession as a main care pediatrician.”

“My days have been filled with principally laughter (and some tears),” he wrote. “I’m in debt to the entire mother and father who trusted me with the care of their youngsters, in addition to the youngsters who made me smile on daily basis.”

South Shore Well being, which operates South Shore Medical Middle, confirmed in a press release to Boston.com that Kauff is now not affiliated with the observe. 

“We’re deeply involved by what now we have heard reported within the media,” South Shore Well being mentioned. “We’re taking this very severely and can cooperate totally with any investigation. At this level, our focus is on how you can finest help and help all of our sufferers, households, and employees. We’re additionally ready to assist the younger girls who’ve come ahead with prices towards this doctor … and can at all times be ready to assist any of our present or former sufferers.”