PLYMOUTH ‒ A Marshfield woman has filed a civil lawsuit against her former pediatrician, Dr. Richard Kauff , of Norwell, and his former employer, South Shore Medical Center, which has offices in Norwell and Kingston.
The woman claims Kauff sexually assaulted her when she was a minor under the guise of medical care.
She testified against Kauff during grand jury proceedings that led to several indictments, according to the complaint, which was filed Aug. 19 in Plymouth Superior Court.
The Patriot Ledger does not name sexual abuse accusers unless they want to be identified.
Kauff was indicted in June and arraigned in July on 20 counts of sexual assault, including 11 counts of child rape and nine counts of assault and battery on a child under 14. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The charges stem from accusations made by 15 former patients, according to the Norfolk County district attorney’s office.
In January, prosecutors said three dozen women had come forward to accuse Kauff of sexually assaulting them. Because of the statute of limitations and other legal issues, it was determined that 15 of those cases could be successfully prosecuted, according to a written statement from the DA's office.
The civil complaint against Kauff
The woman named in the civil suit was Kauff’s patient from the time she was about age 2 to age 17, a period when Kauff conducted annual examinations, according to the complaint.
During such visits, Kauff conducted “pelvic examinations,” during which he would digitally penetrate her, the complaint says. From her earliest childhood memories until her teenage years, the abuse occurred with the girl's mother in the examination room, according to the complaint.
The complaints states that the assaults took place for more than a decade during the 1980s and '90s; caused “significant injury and harm, including emotional trauma and anxiety”; prevented her from pursuing “normal activities”; and adversely affected “her ability to enjoy life.”
The lawsuit alleges that Kauff assaulted the woman “for personal satisfaction and for no lawful or legitimate medical purpose.”
The civil complaint against South Shore Medical Center
The lawsuit accuses South Shore Medical Center of negligence, negligent infliction of emotional distress and breach of warranty.
The complaints states that South Shore Medical Center did not properly supervise and train Kauff or report sexual assaults internally or to the police.
Kauff has given up his medical license.
Neither the woman's lead attorney, William J. Thompson, nor a representative for South Shore Medical Center could be immediately reached for comment.
Thompson, a personal injury attorney specializing in medical negligence, represents over 180 women who have accused Boston rheumatologist Dr. Derrick Todd of sexually assaulting them during inappropriate medical exams, according to his page on the website of the law firm Lubin & Meyer PC .
This is a developing story.
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Reach Peter Blandino at pblandino@patriotledger.com .
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Marshfield woman sues South Shore Medical Center and the pediatrician she says raped her
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