A pediatrician in Long Island, New York, was ordered to pay $1.6 billion to 104 women who accused him of sexual abuse.
Newsday reported that a Nassau County Court reviewed all the lawsuits filed against Dr. Stuart Copperman. Copperman did not provide a defense.
Debra Zuckerwise received $25 million after she claimed that Copperman sexually assaulted her repeatedly starting at the age of 5.
Zuckerwise, who was abused and turned to heroin, said to Newsday, “This man destroyed my life.” “I turned to heroin to help numb my pain. I didn’t feel or think. “I didn’t want to know anything.”
Copperman’s license as a medical doctor was revoked in 2000 by the state, even though he had never been charged with a criminal offense. Newsday reported that Copperman had previously denied these allegations and claimed he was thorough in his examinations after he had ushered parents out of the room.
Advocates said that it was vital for victims to receive justice, even if they are unlikely to receive a fraction of the verdict. CBS News reported that lawyers have hired a collection specialist to start pursuing compensation for Copperman, who now lives in Florida.
Newsday quoted Kristen Gibbons Feden as saying, “It was all about the truth. It was about accountability and giving survivors their voice back after decades of being denied. What Copperman did to those children was truly unspeakable.”
Copperman, according to Zuckerwise, is a “monster.”
She told Newsday, “He caused us so much harm.”
