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Berwyn Doctor Charged With Sexual Abuse Of Patients

By Sean Stillmaker in News on Aug 1, 2010 7:00PM

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Photo of Arze by Cook Co. Sheriff, via the Tribune
A Berwyn doctor was charged with sexual assault and battering his patients, but it took four years to arrest him. The Cook County state’s attorney said it did not have enough evidence to prosecute Ricardo Arze after the 2003 allegation and wasn’t informed of the 2005 complaint until years later, the Tribune has reported. The police launched their investigation in 2007 when at least four women filed complaints. Arze was treating more than 6,000 patients at his private practice, and served on the staff of Berwyn’s MacNeal Hospital, before he was arrested in September 2007. When the police started their investigation they had a Cook County sheriff’s officer pose as a patient; Arze then made sexual advances to her. The Tribune’s review found 16 convicted sex offenders who held Illinois medical licenses within the last 15 years. None had their license permanently revoked.