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Home / New Zealand

Exclusive: South Auckland health professional acquitted on 20 sex charges

Anna Leask
By Anna Leask
Senior Journalist - crime and justice·NZ Herald·
31 May, 2018 04:33 AM4 mins to read

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A South Auckland health professional has been cleared of 20 charges of sexually assaulting women at his practice. Photo / File

A South Auckland health professional has been cleared of 20 charges of sexually assaulting women at his practice. Photo / File

A South Auckland health professional has been cleared on 20 charges of indecently and sexually assaulting women working for him or being treated by him at his practice.

The women - all but one former employees of the accused - say he groped, touched, rubbed and kissed them inappropriately and without their consent.

But he said the claims were simply not true and that his former staffers "conspired against him" as a result of "internal employment issues".

The man was granted permanent name suppression following his acquittal by a jury after a trial spanning almost a month at the Manukau District Court.

The specifics of his occupation were also suppressed, but Judge John Bergseng permitted the Herald to publish the fact he is a health professional.

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The Crown alleged that between mid 2015 and early 2016 the man sexually assaulted five women.

As a result he was charged with 19 counts of indecent assault and one of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.

After hearing evidence including accounts from all five women, the jury found the man not guilty on every charge.

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The court heard that four of the women worked for the man at his health practice either as reception or junior staff.

The fifth was a member of the public who sought out his professional services.

Crown prosecutor Michael Regan alleged several women had their bottoms massaged by the man during appointments and others had their breasts or genitals touched.

It was also alleged that the man rubbed his groin on the women - sometimes when he had an erection - put his hands inside their underwear and touched them inappropriately in the groin area.

The most serious of the allegations related to the same woman.

The man was accused of "kissing her, nibbling her ear and slapping her bottom" outside a treatment room and on a separate occasion, sexually violating her by putting his finger inside her genitals.

"He abused his position and systematically assaulted each of them," said Regan.

He told the jury the case was about "the abuse of trust and inappropriate touching by a health professional".

He said there was an expectation such professionals would not "mistreat" patients.

"The Crown says that (he) indecently assaulted five complainants during the course of treating them … under the pretence of delivering legitimate treatments," he said.

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"Put simply, this was not legitimate treatment."

The Herald cannot publish the specifics of the allegations as it may identify what realm of health the man works in.

In August 2016 one of the women went to police and made a complaint about the man.

By that stage another of the woman had also come forward.

Police visited the man at work, telling him he was under investigation for indecent assaults on now former staff members.

After speaking to a lawyer the man refused to speak to police.

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He was arrested and charged.

During the investigation, three other women made complaints and further charges were laid.

The man strenuously denied all of the charges and said the touching described by the women simply did not happen.

Defence lawyer Ron Mansfield told the court that the man believed four of the women had conspired against him.

They made up the allegations in response to "internal employment issues".

He said the fifth woman "misunderstood" her treatment as it was her first visit to such a professional.

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Defence witnesses supporting the man's case included current and past employees from his practice and past and current clients.

The jury also heard expert evidence from the body that oversees the man's specific occupation on "legitimate" and "genuine" treatment for patients in that field.

Mansfield provided a statement to the Herald from his client.

"I am pleased that these allegations, which I have always vehemently denied, are now behind me and that I can return to my professional work which I love," the man said.

"I am grateful for all the professional and family support I have received and that has got me through this difficult time."

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