Retired South Shore pediatrician Dr. Richard Kauff is facing allegations of sexual assault from two former patients. He is currently facing 16 felony assault charges, two of which are for the rape of a child, as reported by CBS Boston.
The two accusers came across each other on Facebook, sharing similar experiences. They detailed how Dr. Kauff would inappropriately and painfully penetrate their private areas during annual physical exams, starting when they were children. This was reported by NBC News Boston.
According to court documents mentioned by NBC News Boston, the alleged assaults occurred at Norwell and Kingston, where Dr. Kauff practiced. The documents reveal accounts of Kauff conducting invasive vaginal exams and making inappropriate comments.
They came forward after one of the women shared her experiences in a Facebook group, and another woman responded with similar experiences as per report by Boston 25 News. Both women recounted that Dr. Kauff would position himself so that any parents present in the room during the exams would be unable to see his actions.
The two women only realized their experiences with Dr. Kauff were not normal after talking to a therapist and viewing each other's social media posts. When one of the women confided her experiences to her therapist, she was advised to immediately contact the police, as reported in the Boston 25 article.
In light of these allegations, South Shore Health reiterated their commitment to full cooperation with the investigation. South Shore Medical Center also pledged its support to the accusers and any other potential victims who may come forward against Dr. Kauff, who is currently not affiliated with the center.
As noted by NBC News Boston, no disciplinary actions are listed against Dr. Kauff on the state Board of Registration in Medicine website. Dr. Kauff retired from his practice in 2022, a fact shared by South Shore Health in a blog post.
Dr. Kauff is due to appear in court for his arraignment on November 20th. There may be others who will come forward with accusations against him as the investigation progresses, but we continue to emphasize the legal principle of innocence until proven guilty, and it is the legal system that will determine the resolution of these serious allegations against Dr. Richard Kauff.
