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Former Children's Hospital doctor who was accused of abuse is dead

Print Posted by Martin Finucane February 18, 2011 05:34 PM

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By David Abel and Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Dr. Melvin D. Levine, the former Children's Hospital doctor who has been accused of sexual abuse of numerous patients, has died, his attorney said today.

"This entire episode is a tragedy. Throughout it, Dr. Levine never wavered that his care and treatment of all children was appropriate in all respects, and he steadfastly denied the allegations against him," Attorney Edward Mahoney said in a statement. Mahoney had no further comment on the circumstances of his client's death.

Relatives of Levine, reached at his home in North Carolina, declined to comment on his death.

The news of Levine's death came a day after a class action lawsuit was filed in Suffolk Superior Court alleging that the doctor, who was also a best-selling author, sexually abused thousands of his patients.

The suit named the hospital and Levine and alleged that he committed medical malpractice and sexual abuse and that the hospital was negligent in failing to properly supervise him during his 19 years there, the Globe reports today.

"My heart goes out to Dr. Levine’s wonderful wife, Bambi. Our thoughts and prayers are with her during this extraordinarily difficult time," said Mahoney. "Dr. Levine’s ground-breaking contributions in the field of developmental behavioral pediatrics will continue to benefit children worldwide."

"The death of Dr. Levine is a tragedy for his family, and we extend our condolences to them," said Michelle Davis, spokeswoman for Children's Hospital Boston.

“Our thoughts and our prayers go out to his family during this time,” said Stephanie Crayton, a spokeswoman for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Health Care System.