Expert to help Utah prosecutors examine alleged sexual assault evidence against OB-GYN David Broadbent

It's been more than two years since the first of 49 women reported to Provo police that David Broadbent had sexually assaulted them during exams.

Utah County prosecutors will soon get help from a nurse practitioner who specializes in sexual assault exams to decide whether to file charges against a Utah OB-GYN who was accused of assault sexual by dozens of women.

At least 49 women reported to Provo police that David Broadbent sexually assaulted them during exams, and prosecutors have been considering whether to file charges for 18 months.

Many women say Broadbent touched their breasts, vaginas and rectums inappropriately during exams – often without warning or explanation, and in ways that hurt them and made them feel violated. Other former patients, as well as numerous women who have come forward to police, have also sued Broadbent or the hospitals where he worked, with a total of nearly 120 women coming forward with allegations of sexual assault in connection with civil proceedings.

Earlier this week, the Utah County Commission approved funding of up to $6,000 for Susan Chasson, a nurse practitioner, to review, research and research evidence available to prosecutors. advise on the “standard of care” for a normal OB. -Appointment at the GYN.

Chasson is a trained nurse who performs examinations after a person reports a sexual assault, and she currently serves as manager of the statewide SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner) program for the Utah Coalition Against Assault. sexual assault. She also works with the Utah County Children's Justice Center, according to her resume included in a draft agreement.

Deputy Utah County Attorney Tim Taylor, who is a spokesman for the prosecutors' office, said he believed Chasson would begin reviewing the cases immediately, but he did not have a time estimate what this exam would take. He added that prosecutors believe “this is a necessary step to ensure we review these cases appropriately.”

Broadbent has agreed to cease practicing medicine while this criminal investigation is ongoing. In a separate civil case, Broadbent's lawyers said the sexual assault allegations against him were “baseless.”

It took police and prosecutors more than two years to get to this point. Provo police records show the first woman reported Broadbent in March 2022, and they have received dozens more reports since then as news of the civil lawsuits filed against him spread.

In partnership with ProPublica, the Salt Lake Tribune interviewed 14 of the women who came to police, all Spanish-speaking Mexican immigrants, who reported Broadbent between March 2022 and April 2023. The interviews revealed that many of these women were faced delays, language problems and insensitive interviews when speaking to police.

Two women say they asked the Mexican consulate for help with their reports. Of the 14, five said police turned them away at least once because there was no one at the police station who spoke Spanish.

These women are also suing two hospitals where Broadbent had privileges, claiming they knew about his alleged misconduct and failed to act. Their civil attorney, who twice wrote to Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray urging him to file amendments, did not respond to an email request for comment for this story.

Broadbent is also being sued by 94 other women in a separate lawsuit. But in September 2022, a judge threw out their case when he ruled it fell under medical malpractice law instead of a civil sexual assault claim, which meant filing deadlines were tighter . The women appealed the decision to the Utah Supreme Court and have been waiting for the decision for seven months.