Prominent doctor accused of rape loses initial attempt to stop suspension

CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to alleged sexual abuse.

A prominent Canberra doctor accused of abusing four employees has failed in his attempt to temporarily stop his suspension from practising medicine.

The doctor, who currently cannot be named due to a non-publication order, is alleged to have sexually, physically or indecently abused four women employed by his clinic.

He was arrested in January 2025 and handed numerous charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty, then was granted bail in February.

When the Medical Board of Australia learned of his charges, it suspended his registration as a health practitioner.

The doctor then appealed the board’s decision in the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT).

While the substantive appeal has not yet been held, in the meantime, he applied for an urgent stay of his suspension.

Such a stay would stop the suspension decision from taking effect ahead of an outcome from his appeal.

As part of the doctor’s arguments on the stay application, he emphasised the impact it would have on patients if it was not granted.

The medical board opposed his application, arguing that ACAT didn’t have the power to stay such a decision under the relevant legislation.

It also argued that allowing the doctor to continue to practise would undermine public confidence in the profession, given the serious allegations against him.

Presidential member Juliet Lucy, in her decision that was published on Thursday (27 March), ultimately said ACAT had no power to grant a stay of the decision and dismissed the doctor’s application.

She said if she was wrong and the tribunal did have the power, she would still dismiss the application.

This was for several reasons, including that the doctor’s substantive appeal to his suspension had been listed for hearing on a date that was only several weeks away.

The presidential member also said a “return to practise may also place female colleagues and female patients of the doctor at risk”.

“I accept the [medical board’s] submission that, if the allegations against the [doctor] have substance, they tend to show that he is a person who will behave irresponsibly and with disinhibition and that he may, for this reason, also pose a risk to patients, even though no patient has complained about him,” she said.

She noted the doctor was entitled to the presumption of innocence in criminal proceedings, but said that presumption “has little work to do” under the legislation ACAT had to assess.

“I have, however, taken into account that the allegations against the applicant are unproven,” she said.

If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732 or by visiting www.1800respect.org.au. Help and support are also available through the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 02 6247 2525, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT 02 6280 0900, Sexual Violence Legal Services on 6257 4377 and Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call triple zero.