Woman speaks out against gynecologist alleged to have sexually abused 200 women

Dana Rebik
·2 min read
6

CHICAGO — For the first time, a woman is speaking out about the sexual abuse she said she endured at the hands of her former gynecologist.

Ericka Matos said she saw Doctor Fabio Ortega in the emergency room at Swedish Covenant Hospital for an ovarian cyst, and visited him for follow-up care.

She is one of 200 women her attorneys represent, who said Ortega sexually abused them, with some of the allegations dating back to the early 90’s when he worked for Swedish Covenant and NorthShore University HealthSystem — Now known as Endeavor Health.

“We represent women who Fabio Ortega sexually assaulted right after giving birth. We represent women who were seeking medical care because they were in pain. We represent women who were sexually assaulted by Fabio Ortega when they were going to the gynecologist for their very first Pap smear,” said Johanna Raimond, an attorney representing Matos.

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Attorneys allege Ortega was protected by the hospital systems that employed him. When aware he was under investigation in 2017, they said Northshore continued to allow him to see patients.

In 2021, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office investigated Ortega, and he pled guilty to criminal sexual abuse involving two patients, which led to him serving one year in prison and Endeavor Health paying his legal fees.

Endeavor Health provided the following statement to WGN News Wednesday:

“Fabio Ortega is not affiliated with Endeavor Health and has not provided care at any of our facilities in more than six years. Since these events, we underwent a rigorous process to review and enhance our policies across all of our hospitals and care sites to ensure we have an environment that supports reporting of threatened or actual abuse” – Endeavor Health

Attorneys representing the victims want Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to re-open an investigation, but said she has not been receptive to the idea.

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“We are asking that the new state’s attorney that succeeds Kim Foxx and we have been in contact with Eileen Burke O’Neill,” said Stephan Blandin, another attorney representing Matos. “We have asked her to take this issue up. She was shocked by the allegations … We hope the next state’s attorney will take the actions Kim Foxx will not.”

Attorneys representing Matos sent a formal letter requesting Foxx re-open an investigation into Ortega Wednesday.

Kim Foxx and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office have not returned WGN News’ request for comment on the alleged victims’ asking her to re-open an investigation into Fabio Ortega.

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