Sacklers confronted by opioid crisis victims and families at virtual hearing

Roughly two dozen gave statements at bankruptcy court hearing attended by Richard, Theresa and David Sackler

A virtual hearing on Thursday in US bankruptcy court gave survivors of opioid dependency and people who lost loved ones to the crisis what they have long desired - an official chance to confront members of the family behind Purdue Pharma, the US creator of the powerful but highly addictive prescription painkiller OxyContin.

They blamed the billionaire Sackler family members for helping spur the epidemic that ultimately has cost about half a million American lives, through aggressive marketing of Purdue's signature narcotic and for failing to take responsibility for their role.