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A Neurologist Was Convicted Of Raping And Assaulting His Patients After Getting Them Hooked On Opioids

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Ricardo Cruciani, a 68-year-old neurologist, has been found guilty of sexual assaulting, abusing, and raping six of his patients under his care at his offices in New York City, Philadelphia, and Hopewell, New Jersey.

Cruciani’s patients sought his medical care for their chronic pain disorders, but Cruciani would allegedly overprescribe pain medication to them to keep them in his care and then force them to have sex with him, according to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr.

“Ricardo Cruciani abused his power as a medical professional and knowingly took advantage of his patients’ pain,” Bragg said in a news release. “We entrust doctors to respect our bodies and health when we go to them for help, yet Dr. Cruciani utterly violated that duty. Dr. Cruciani left in his wake six survivors who continue to suffer from debilitating diseases, and now, years of trauma. Although we can never undo his horrific actions, I hope this conviction serves as a measure of justice for the brave survivors who came forward to share their stories and endured this long and painful trial.”

Cruciani left Beth Israel Medical Center in 2014. When reached by BuzzFeed News, the medical center did not have a comment.

Fred Sosinsky, Cruciani’s lawyer, told BuzzFeed News in an email that Cruciani is “crushed” by the verdict.

“In the end, it appears that the collective weight of six accusers, rather than a fair consideration of each of their problematic accounts, carried the day,” Sosinsky said. “Nevertheless, there were, we are confident, a good number of legal errors committed by the trial court that we look forward to remedying before the appellate courts.”

Cruciani used his background in psychiatry to ask his patients questions about private matters, like their childhoods and marriages, eventually developing a personal relationship with them. He would also stroke his patients’ hair, compliment their appearance, and give them hugs until it progressed to him forcibly kissing and groping the women and compelling them to have sex with him.

Cruciani would overprescribe high doses of addictive pain medication and then force his patients to perform sexual acts on him to get the prescriptions.

When the patients sought outside medical care, some doctors refused to treat them because of the high doses they were taking. The patients developed opioid addictions and were left with sexual trauma, according to the Manhattan district attorney.

Tanisha Johnson told the New York Times in 2021 that at one point, she was prescribed 1,300 pills a month. Hillary Tullin said to the publication that she told a psychologist about Cruciani’s assaults, but the psychologist allegedly did not report the doctor.

Cruciani was convicted on one count of predatory sexual assault, one count of attempted rape, one count of sexual abuse, two counts of rape, and seven counts of criminal sexual act.

He will be sentenced Sept. 14.

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18 Unspoken Rules You Really Need To Know Before Staying In Hostels

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Things To Know Before You Stay In A Hostel

If you’re travelling and trying to stick to a budget, there’s nothing better than a good hostel.

But if you’re new to the world of hostels, it can be a little daunting – there are certain unspoken rules that everyone mysteriously seems to know. So in one handy place, here’s everything to be across before starting your hostel journey.

1.

Keep in mind that some hostels will charge you for a towel.

2.

Private rooms are a good way to get used to hostel life.

3.

Female-only dorms are super common!

4.

Look for hostels that offer activities.

5.

Don’t have sex when there are other people in the room.

6.

Check the hostel’s location before you book.

7.

You don’t really get to choose top or bottom bunk.

8.

Some hostel beds are ~fancier~ than others.

9.

Choose a dorm size that you’re comfortable with.

10.

Don’t snooze your alarm for hours.

11.

Avoid turning on the overhead lights when people are asleep in the morning.

12.

And pack all your stuff up the night before an early departure.

13.

Speaking of which, leave something on your bed when you go out for the day.

15.

Book in advance if you’re travelling around an ~event~.

16.

Bring earplugs and an eye mask.

17.

Always read the reviews before booking a hostel.

18.

And finally, bring your own pillowcase.

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The Man Suing Gwyneth Paltrow Over A Ski Crash Said She Hit Him From Behind, But Her Ski Instructor Said That Would Have Been “Impossible”

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While on the witness stand, Sanderson testified that he was skiing down the right side of the run when he heard “a blood-curdling scream.”

“It was ahhh and then boom,” Sanderson said, smacking his hands together. “It was like somebody was out of control and going to hit a tree and was going to die.”

He said he then felt someone crash into his back sending him “absolutely flying.”

“All I saw was a whole lot of snow,” Sanderson said. “It’s quite a ways to hit the ground and I just said, OK, you got to protect your face and your head, and that’s the last thing I remember.”

He testified that he didn’t remember if he hit his head on the ground, saying that “everything” went black and all he could hear was the voice of a man who sounded angry with him. At first, Sanderson said he couldn’t make out what the man was saying but then heard the person tell him “you hit somebody, you hurt somebody.”

“Did you know who he was?” his attorney Kristin VanOrman asked.

“I had no idea,” Sanderson said. “It was just a very angry person bullying me into believing something that I didn’t think could happen.”

He said he remembered apologizing “to placate this guy” and said he was sorry twice. In his head, it sounded like he was whispering, Sanderson testified, saying that his lips were moving to make out, “I’m sorry,” but he couldn’t hear the words coming out of his mouth.

Paltrow testified last week that she cussed Sanderson out after she said he crashed into her back, causing the two to fall to the ground. On Monday, Sanderson testified that he didn’t hear her voice at all.

“I only heard a male voice,” he said. “I heard nothing that maybe happened before I came to that point in consciousness.”

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Drew Barrymore Opened Up To Gayle King About Her Experience With Perimenopause In Her 40s, And It’s Such An Important Conversation For All Women

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So, if you’ve found yourself experiencing symptoms that feel in-line with perimenopause, what can you do? “First,” says Dr. Mbaye, “exercising regularly and not smoking are two of the best things you can do on your own that will help manage symptoms. Beyond that, there are lots of hormonal and non-hormonal medical treatments that can manage a range of symptoms.”

Therapy is also an important tool, emphasizes Dr. Mbaye, especially for people who have more significant mood changes during this phase. Dr. Mbaye also shared that “if your symptoms are bothersome to you, bring them up to your doctor so they can then go through the options that are safe for your specific case.” She continued, “All perimenopausal symptoms are treatable if they’re bothersome, but they don’t need to be treated. It’s always up to the patient whether or not they feel the need to treat anything.”

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