Victims of disgraced Manhattan doctor Ricardo Cruciani ask judge not to overturn conviction after his apparent suicide

NEW YORK -- Victims of a Manhattan doctor who sexually abused patients and later died by apparent suicide pleaded with a judge Wednesday not to overturn his conviction.

Back in July, a jury found 68-year-old Ricardo Cruciani guilty of 12 counts, including rape and predatory sexual assault.

READ MORE: Disgraced Manhattan doctor Ricardo Cruciani found guilty of sexually abusing patients

Cruciani died of an apparent suicide on Rikers Island a few weeks later.

Wednesday, his defense attorney asked a judge to vacate the conviction.

READ MORE: Dr. Ricardo Cruciani found dead at Rikers Island, attorney says

In their victim impact statements, the six women who testified against Cruciani argued that would cause tremendous pain. They said they were already robbed of the chance to confront him at sentencing, and they don't want to be robbed of justice, too.

"He has wounded me profoundly in ways that are big and small, in ways that are seen and unseen ... It will take the rest of my life to recover from what that monster did to me," victim Hillary Tullin said.

The judge said she would make a decision on the case at a later date.