Women say they were branded and traumatized by doctors in a secretive New York group, and state officials say they'll review why authorities didn't act sooner on the women's reports.
A spokesman for Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday officials also will examine whether the women's complaints warrant an investigation now.
The action comes after The New York Times reported on complaints about a group affiliated with the self-help organization NXIVM, based in suburban Albany. NXIVM calls the women's complaints "lies."
One woman says she was held down and branded by a female doctor during an initiation ritual. Another says she was traumatized when a male doctor forced her to watch violent film clips while a machine recorded her brainwaves.
The women say state medical regulators declined to act when they complained over the summer.
© 2017 AP