Manhattan district attorney reopens sex abuse case against gynecologist
NEW YORK (WABC) -- The Manhattan District Attorney's office has reopened the case against a gynecologist accused of sexually abusing 19 people.
Robert Hadden's accusers include the wife of former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
Hadden pleaded guilty in 2016 to a single felony count of criminal sexual contact and a misdemeanor count of forcible touching as part of a deal that kept him out of prison. He was stripped of his medical license.
Dozens of women have since come forward with public accusations against Hadden, and in January, Evelyn Yang told CNN that Hadden had assaulted her in 2012 while she was pregnant with her first child.
A spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said in a statement provided to ABC News that two senior prosecutors have been assigned to reexamine the case and were "in touch with a representative of a number of survivors."
"We admire the courage of the survivors who have recently shared their stories," spokesman Danny Frost said. "Their voices will be heard, and the abuse they suffered will be thoroughly investigated."
Anthony DiPietro, a malpractice attorney who represents several Hadden victims, also released a statement:
"I'm glad the DA has decided to support the survivors and finally prosecute Hadden, but it's not enough," he said. "Columbia University has been hiding evidence of Hadden's sexual abuse for the past 25 years. In order to make sure this doesn't happen again, I'm calling for the DA to open a criminal investigation into Columbia University for the role it played in enabling, aiding, abetting, and covering up two decades of sexual abuse."
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