Who is Robert Hadden? NY doctor charged for sexually abusing 40 women including Andrew Yang's wife over 20 years
Warning: Graphic content
A former Columbia University gynecologist, who has been accused by the wife of former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, Evelyn, of sexual assault, has now been indicted for sexually abusing many of his patients, including a minor. Dr Robert Hadden was arrested on Wednesday, September 9, and charged in connection with alleged abuse of six of his patients, one of whom was a minor, who he himself had delivered. In an indictment unsealed on Wednesday, federal prosecutors had said that Hadden had sexually abused his victims over nearly two decades. As per reports, nearly 40 women have come forward to say the same former doctor abused them.
Hadden had done so "under the guise of conducting purported gynecological and obstetric examinations", CBS reveals. He has been charged with regard to six cases where patients had even traveled between states to get appointments with him. Hadden is charged with six counts of enticing and inducing dozens of victims to travel to his office and putting them through unlawful sexual abuse. Each of these charges carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. According to prosecutors, Hadden had assaulted "dozens of female patients, including multiple minors" between 1993 and 2012. Many women have spoken out against Hadden, including Evelyn Yang but Hadden has not served any prison time yet.
As per the indictment, Hadden is facing a wide range of abuses such as performing unnecessary and invasive vaginal exams, licking victims' vaginas, groping their breasts and even pinching their nipples, Oxygen reports. Hadden was also accused of similar actions with at least one other minor as per an indictment filed in February that was obtained by Oxygen. A medical worker had been present in the room when Hadden allegedly made the girl undress and get on all fours. He then gave unnecessary breast and vaginal exams and had rubbed his ungloved hands "up an down" on her. The child had just hit puberty and it was her first time at a gynecologist.
Evelyn Yang had opened up about her difficult ordeal while doing an interview with CNN where she said that her abuse took place when she was pregnant with her first child. As the months progressed, Hadden began to ask Yang very uncomfortable and unnecessary questions about sexual activity with her husband. In retrospect, she realized that he was prepping her for abuse. She continued on with Hadden until she was seven-month pregnant when Hadden's abuse peaked. "I knew it was wrong. I knew I was being assaulted in 2012. I imagined myself as someone being, you know, like I would throw a chair at him and run out yelling bloody murder. I just kind of froze like a deer in headlights, just frozen. I knew it was happening. I could feel it," Yang said.
"I remember trying to fix my eyes on a spot on the wall and just trying to avoid seeing his face as he was assaulting me, just waiting for it to be over, " Yang added. She never went back to him post that incident. In 2014, six of Hadden's alleged victims joined together and slammed Hadden with many sex-related charges. However, he pleaded guilty to a single felony and one misdemeanor and served no prison time.
For his latest charges, Hadden has pleaded not guilty and was released on Wednesday on a $1-million bond.