Abuse of Female Patients and a Child—Geneva Gynecologist Convicted

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• A Geneva criminal court sentenced a gynecologist to five years in prison for sexually abusing five female patients and a child.
• The doctor must pay the victims at least 180,000 francs in damages and is barred from practicing his profession.
• The convicted man continues to deny the allegations and has announced that he will appeal the verdict.

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A gynecologist has been sentenced to five years in prison in Geneva. On Tuesday, a criminal court found him guilty of sexually abusing five female patients and a child. His lawyers announced they would file an appeal.

“The defendant’s guilt is very serious,” said the presiding judge when handing down the sentence. The 60-year-old was accused of committing three sexual acts and sexual coercion against a friend of his daughter at his home in neighboring France between 2005 and 2008.

According to the indictment, the gynecologist molested the girl, who was between seven and ten years old at the time, even while she was asleep. The defendant denied the allegations made by the victim, who was excused from attending the trial.

Between 2010 and 2019, the gynecologist is also alleged to have committed sexual acts against six female patients who did not know one another. Four of them filed complaints.

Defendant Denies Guilt

The gynecologist claimed that he had acted “exclusively in a professional capacity.” The court did not find this statement credible. The defendant knew that these acts were of a sexual nature, said the presiding judge.

The gynecologist was found guilty in five cases; in the case of a sixth woman, who was not of sound mind and unable to defend herself, he was acquitted.

The trial had been postponed twice. In his closing argument, District Attorney Olivier Lutz had sought an eight-year prison sentence.

Barred from Practicing Medicine

In addition to the five-year prison sentence—of which the doctor has already served more than 170 days in prison and 246 days of alternative measures—the man was sentenced to a fine equivalent to 30 days’ wages, suspended for two years. He must also pay damages of at least approximately 180,000 Swiss francs.

The gynecologist was barred from practicing his profession. In addition to these criminal offenses, he was found guilty of traffic violations, use of violence, threats against authorities, obstruction of official duties, and fleeing the scene.