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	Reardon Sexual Abuse Case: St. Francis Wants Still More Concessions from Victims By Susan Campbell Hartford Courant February 8, 2011 http://articles.courant.com/2011-02-08/news/hc-campbell-st-francis-0208-20110208_1_george-reardon-victims-crimes-prosecutor During a Monday hearing in the sad George Reardon sexual abuse case, a St. Francis Hospital attorney said that a doctor's white coat carries no more authority than that of a uniform on a delivery guy. Tell that to an 8-year-old boy, won't you? Because that's who we're talking about. Grab one at random, and ask who he'd listen to more closely, a doctor, or the UPS guy. St. Francis' attorneys were in court seeking to change drastically — if not eliminate entirely — the largest recorded sexual abuse case in legal history. That over the course of decades Reardon, St. Francis Hospital's head of endocrinology, sexually abused hundreds of children — who in court papers go by the name "Roe" to protect their anonymity — isn't in question. That his employer bears some responsibility for the abuse of the Roes very much is. Over the years, the hospital has rigorously — even rabidly — denied culpability. The hospital most recently filed a motion asking that the plaintiffs' names be made public, though most of the Roes prefer anonymity. Wendy Murphy, adjunct professor at New England Law/Boston, and a former sex crimes prosecutor, wrote recently for WeNews: "In a truly just world, no type of crime victim would have their name revealed without their consent. This would help redress growing concerns about threats and intimidation tactics from criminals who hope to escape responsibility for their violence by terrorizing victims into silence." Talk about terrorizing. In the past, the hospital has also asked that victims not speak publicly about the case — this while the hospital's public relations people churned out feel-good messages extolling the hospital's dedication to the community. On Monday, Courtroom 3A at Superior Court in Waterbury was packed with lawyers, but not many members of the broken Roe family. I sat near Ed Karpuska, one of the few of Reardon's victims who has come forward publicly. He came to the hearing because this is, after all, his life. It looks like the trial will start in April. That's fitting. April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month.
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