CORPUS CHRISTI – A lawsuit alleging sexual assault has been brought against a Corpus Christi physician.
Seeking more than $1 million in damages, Jane Doe, who is represented by The Buzbee Law Firm, filed suit against Dr. Juan Antonio Villarreal and C/HCA Inc. on July 19 in Nueces County.
According to the lawsuit, Villarreal is a well-known obstetrician and gynecologist in Corpus Christi and maintains his own practice in addition to working at Corpus Christi Medical Center – Northwest Regional, which is owned and operated by C/HCA.
Doe had been seeing Villarreal for gynecological appointments for many years, from approximately 2005 until June 2016. Villarreal performed a complete hysterectomy on Doe in 2005.
“Plaintiff recalls the sexual abuse starting as early as 2007. During her ‘yearly examinations’, Villarreal would stick his fingers in Plaintiff’s vagina and attempt to pleasure her,” the suit states.
“He would also jam a medical instrument extremely aggressively into Plaintiff’s vagina causing her to cry out in pain. When Plaintiff did scream, Defendant would comment ‘Don’t act like you haven’t felt that way with someone before.’”
For the breast exams, Doe says Villarreal caressed and fondled her breasts, rather than examining them professionally.
On June 22, 2016, Villarreal sexually assaulted Doe during a “pap smear exam,” according to the lawsuit.
“Villarreal had told Plaintiff that she needed to come in for a yearly pap smear,” the suit states. “Defendant Villarreal inserted his fingers to manually examine Plaintiff internally. He would insert his fingers and remove them and insert them again to simulate sexual stimulation. Defendant Villarreal said these actions were part of a ‘normal’ procedure. Villarreal shoved his fingers into Plaintiff’s vagina so forcefully that she let out a moan of pain.
“Plaintiff felt completely violated and emotionally disturbed.”
Doe had a yearly exam with a new gynecologist in January 2017, during which she was advised that there was no need to do a pap smear because she had a complete hysterectomy.
“Upon information and belief, Defendant Villarreal’s medical license has been temporarily suspended,” the suit states. “Plaintiff and three other women have filed criminal charges against Defendant Villarreal that are currently pending in Nueces County. Defendant is still practicing medicine and seeing patients.”
On top of punitive damages, Doe is suing for her mental anguish, impairment, loss of enjoyment of life and medical expenses.
She is represented by Buzbee Law Firm attorneys Tony Buzbee and Cornelia Brandfield-Harvey.
Cause No. 2019DCV-3618-F