News Summary
Two doctors in Irvine are facing serious sexual assault allegations involving patients and relatives, raising concerns about patient safety within the healthcare system. Dr. Richard Michael Lemacks is charged with multiple counts of sexual offenses against teenage relatives, while Dr. John C. Hoefs faces a lawsuit from 15 women alleging sexual abuse under the guise of medical treatment. Both cases highlight the urgent need for accountability and stronger protections for vulnerable patients in healthcare settings.
Irvine – Two doctors are facing multiple sexual assault allegations in separate cases involving patients and relatives, casting a shadow over healthcare standards within the community.
Dr. Richard Michael Lemacks, 59, has been charged with sexual assaults against two teenage relatives. The charges include seven counts of lewd acts on children aged 14 or 15, two counts of lewd acts on a child under 14, four counts of forcible oral copulation on a child under 14, and two counts of sexual penetration of a child older than 14 by force. The alleged offenses occurred in January and June of this year. Lemacks did not enter a plea at his arraignment, with the next hearing scheduled for July 24 at the Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.
In another disturbing case, Dr. John C. Hoefs, a 79-year-old physician affiliated with UCI Medical Center and Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, is accused in a lawsuit filed by 15 women of sexual abuse dating back to 2006. The lawsuit claims that Hoefs coerced patients into exposing their breasts under the guise of medical treatment while groping them during examinations.
Hoefs was arrested in May 2024 for sexual battery involving two female patients. Additional charges stem from interactions with six more patients, and if convicted on all counts, he faces over 20 years in prison. Although Hoefs operated independently, leasing office space from the hospitals, the lawsuit alleges that both UCI and Hoag concealed previous complaints and failed to prevent further abuse, despite being aware of his misconduct.
The California Medical Board responded by issuing an interim suspension of Hoefs’ medical license in May, barring him from any patient contact. Allegations against him detail a pattern of sexual manipulation and assault, with some patients describing experiences where he required them to disrobe and fondled them without medical justification. For instance, one plaintiff reported that Hoefs inappropriately fondled her breasts while claiming to perform liver checks during an examination.
Concerns regarding Hoefs’ behavior had been raised in public forums, yet he continued to practice until his recent arrest. Following the complaints, the lawsuit names Hoag Memorial Hospital, the Liver Specialty Center, and the Regents of the University of California as co-defendants for their negligence in addressing the grievances against Hoefs.
The women involved in Hoefs’ lawsuit are characterized as vulnerable due to serious medical conditions, which they allege he exploited during their treatments. Following the allegations against Hoefs, both Hoag and UCI issued statements expressing dismay over the incidents while denying that Hoefs was an employee, emphasizing his status as an independent practitioner.
The unfolding cases of Lemacks and Hoefs have raised serious questions about patient safety and the accountability of healthcare institutions in protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation. As these cases continue in the legal system, they highlight the urgent need for stringent oversight and better reporting protocols in the medical community.
As investigations proceed into both cases, the impacts on the victims and the broader community are poised to reverberate, prompting discussions on how to better safeguard patients against such abuses in the future.
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Additional Resources
- Patch: Man Charged with Sex Attacks on 2 South OC Teens
- Wikipedia: Sexual Assault
- Mercury News: 15 Female Patients Allege Doctor Sexually Assaulted Them
- Google Search: Doctor Sexual Assault California
- LA Times: O.C. Doctor Accused of Multiple Sexual Battery Charges
- Google Scholar: Sexual Abuse in Medicine
- ABC7: 15 Female Patients Sue Doctor for Alleged Sexual Abuse
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Medical Ethics
- Sacramento Bee: News on Allegations against Doctors
- Google News: California Medical Board Doctor Abuse
