Tremont

Hospital Abuse

Dr. George Reardon, a Physician at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, sexually abused countless children in the Hospital during his Growth Study examinations. 60,000 pornographic images of children were found in the wall of his former home.

Few legal cases have garnered as much Connecticut media attention as the case against Dr. George Reardon, a physician at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, who sexually abused countless children. Dr. Reardon practiced medicine as an endocrinologist at St. Francis Hospital for almost 40 years. Over the course of his career, hundreds of children were seen in his offices to participate in what Dr. Reardon described to be a growth study. It was only in 2007 that Dr. Reardon's growth study was discovered to actually be a cover up for a massive child pornography enterprise. Please click here to read more.

Related Links

• Two Roads for Justice for Sexual Abuse Victims
• St. Francis Settles Reardon Child Sex Abuse Claims - Could Cost Hospital And Insurers More Than $50 Million
• Tremont & Sheldon Announces New Blog as a Resource for Sexual Abuse Victims

Online Resources - Victim Support Groups for Child Sexual Abuse

• Adult Survivors of Child Abuse – Individual and group support program for adult survivors of physical, sexual, and/or emotional child abuse or neglect.
• Connecticut Sexual Assault Crisis Services, Inc. – CONNSACS is a statewide coalition of individual sexual assault crisis programs, which work to end sexual violence through victim assistance, community education, and public policy advocacy.
• Wounded Healer – TWHJ is the oldest point of presence on the Web for psychotherapists and others who have experienced the devastation of trauma including child abuse.
• The Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect Program – The mission of the SCAN Program is to provide comprehensive medical and psychosocial care in a culturally sensitive manner to children who have experienced acute sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect.
• Yale New Haven Hospital Child Sexual Abuse Program – The Yale Child Abuse Program provides evaluation and treatment of all types of child maltreatment.

Common Questions About Hospital Abuse

• I do not want my identity revealed. Is there a way that I can file a claim and remain anonymous?

• You can ask permission from the Court to file your case under a pseudonym (e.g., Jane Doe or John Doe). It is up to the judge to grant or deny your request.

   

• If there is a criminal case presently pending against the perpetrator, can I still file a civil suit?

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  Yes. The two cases can proceed at the same time, but there may be reasons to wait, if possible, until the criminal case has concluded.

   

• What is the difference between criminal and civil cases? Is there a different burden of proof?

• Many people know that the burden of proof (or evidence needed to prove the case) in a criminal case is beyond a reasonable doubt. Criminal cases require a very high standard because being found guilty of a crime is at stake as well as the potential to go to jail. In a civil case, no one is accused of a crime and cannot be found guilty. Instead, the question in a civil case is whether a person was negligent and responsible for damages to another. The burden of proof in a civil case, for example a motor vehicle accident, is lower (easier to prove) than in a criminal case. The standard is “more likely than not” the person was at fault or proof of just over 50% to win the case.

   

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• What is the statute of limitations with regard to filing a sexual abuse claim?

• Under current Connecticut law, any person who claims damages as a result of being sexually abused, sexually assaulted, or sexually exploited as a child has until 30 years past the age of majority (typically until age 48) in which to file a claim in court. However, if you claim damages as a result of being sexually assaulted as an adult, then you have a much shorter time period in which to file a lawsuit. Typically you have three years from the date of the assault to file against the perpetrator for his or her intentional acts and two years from the date of the assault to file against any other person or entity (e.g., perpetrator's employer) who may have been negligent in allowing the perpetrator to have contact with you.

• Who are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse?

• Under Connecticut law, the following people are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse: doctors, nurses, medical examiners, dentists, dental hygienists, psychologists, coaches, school teachers, school principals, school guidance counselors, school paraprofessionals, social workers, police officers, juvenile or adult probation and /or parole officers, members of the clergy, pharmacists, physical therapists, optometrists, chiropractors, podiatrists, mental health professionals, physician’s assistants, certified EMT providers, certified drug and alcohol counselors, licensed marital and family therapists, sexual assault and/or battered women’s counselors, paid child care providers in public or private facilities, child day care centers, licensed group and /or family day care centers, employees of the Department of Children and Families or the Department of Public Health if responsible for licensing day care centers homes or youth camps or the Office of Child Advocate and the Child Advocate.

  Any person so identified who in the course of his or her employment or profession has reasonable cause to believe or suspect that a child has been abused or neglected or has been inflicted with nonaccidental injuries or is at imminent risk of serious harm must report or cause a report to be made in accordance with state law. Violation of the law will result in a monetary fine and required participation in an educational and training program. See Connecticut General Statutes Sections 17-101(b); 17a-101a.