Dr. Stanley Patrick Weber, a doctor for Indian Health Services was convicted of sexually abusing two Blackfeet Indian boys in stemming from his 1993-1995 employment as an Indian Health Service pediatrician in Browning, Montana. He was convicted in January of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, and two counts of attempted aggravated sexual abuse of a child and received a sentence of 18 years in prison. He stands trial in South Dakota for alleged sexual abuse that occurred during his employment at IHS from 1998 to 2011 in South Dakota.
Particularly troubling about Dr. Weber’s conduct is that IHS staff and officials were notified of Dr. Weber’s sexual abuse of boys but did nothing to intervene. In fact, IHS moved Dr. Weber to South Dakota when complaints were mounting in Montana.
Hundreds of unidentified boys may have been victims in Montana and South Dakota. Dr. Weber had unsupervised interaction with children all the time, even after sex abuse suspicions were reported. Similar to clergymen, healthcare professionals, have a duty to protect children under their care and supervision. Unfortunately, Dr. Weber used his position to harm the young individuals he was supposed to provide with medical care and treatment. He preyed upon vulnerable boys in Indian reservations.
When a patient’s trust is violated in the most horrific way, the long-lasting effects are devastating and often are not realized, treated, or diagnosed until much later in a victim’s life. If you or a loved one is a survivor of sex abuse, you have the right to seek compensation. You may receive economic damages for your abuse, such as medical and therapy bills and loss of income. You may also recover punitive damages, to punish the individuals and the institutions that allowed these horrible acts to occur for decades.
These cases are difficult because children have every reason to trust a doctor, in this case, Dr. Weber. When that trust is violated, the victim suffers psychological, emotional and sometimes even physical scars that may never fully heal.
At Edmiston & Colton, we help victims of these hideous crimes secure financial retribution from the offenders, and organizations that covered up these abuse reports. The compensation victims receive helps them pay for psychological and medical treatment so they can rebuild their lives.
If you or a loved one is the victim of sexual abuse from a trusted individual, contact the lawyers Edmiston & Colton Law Firm to learn your legal rights and see if you have a case. Please visit Edmiston & Colton Law firm at yellowstonelaw.com or call (406) 259-9986.
