A Christchurch doctor has been branded a “rapist”, “convicted paedophile” and “registered sex offender” - despite a court clearing his name two decades ago.
Over the past week, posts have been rampant on social media about the
Christchurch GP falsely branded sex offender as court acquittal revealed
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Another said:
“He is a convicted rapist. Many people are wanting to know why he is currently a GP. It’s quite alarming when people aren’t even informed of his past, nor should he still be a registered GP.”
The Herald has obtained the relevant information from the courts and can now confirm the doctor has no convictions for sexual offending.
In 2008, the doctor stood trial in the Christchurch District Court on three counts of sexual violation by rape, dating back to 1993, and one count of sexual violation by rape in 1995.
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The charges related to a teenage girl.
There is no suggestion in any court documents that she was a patient. The doctor knew her personally.
He strongly denied all of the alleged offences.
At the end of the trial, the doctor was found guilty on one charge of rape.
He was acquitted on two other charges, and on the fourth charge, the jury could not agree on a verdict and a retrial was ordered.
The doctor was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment
Maintaining his innocence, he took his case to the Court of Appeal.
In 2009, his conviction was quashed, and a retrial was ordered.
Following the retrial, the doctor was found not guilty.
He is not on the Child Sex Offender (CSO) Register in New Zealand.
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That register only commenced operation on October 14, 2016.
While the doctor has criminal convictions for fraud - he admitted six charges in 1998 and as a result had his name removed from the Register of Doctors for 12 months - claims that he has convictions for sexual offending are simply incorrect.
The doctor did not want to comment publicly on the situation.
A spokeswoman for the medical centre where he works responded to the Herald’s question with a statement.
She said the doctor had been working there as a contractor for around two years.
“The clinic was aware that [the doctor] was involved in a historic court matter that was resolved through the justice system, where he was acquitted,” she said.
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“It is the role of the justice system and the Medical Council of New Zealand to determine court outcomes and a doctor’s fitness to practise.
“As part of our standard employment and contracting processes, all required checks were completed prior to the doctor joining the clinic.
“This included a police check, which returned no results, and confirmation of a current registration to practise as issued by the Medical Council of New Zealand.”
The spokeswoman said there were no conditions placed on the scope of the doctor’s practice by the Medical Council - so he was free to operate as any other GP in New Zealand.
“There is no requirement from the Medical Council for doctors to disclose historic legal matters to patients where they have been resolved and are fully registered,” she said.
“We understand that some of the information being shared online is upsetting for people, and we take concerns raised by patients seriously.
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“It is important to note that the case was addressed through the New Zealand justice system.
“Decisions regarding a doctor’s fitness for practise sits with the Medical Council of New Zealand. As an industry, we rely on their assessment.”
Anna Leask is a senior journalist who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 20 years with a particular focus on family and gender-based violence, child abuse, sexual violence, homicides, mental health and youth crime. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz