Sexual predators come in all shapes, sizes and occupations.

The most heinous cases are, of course, those where the sexual criminal takes advantage of their position of authority over their victims, such as former Shreveport, LA Assistant City Administrator Richard Seaton did with a 18-year-old high school student on December 27, 2010.  In that case the rapist, Richard Seaton, didn’t know the victim but used his position of authority within the city government to coerce his victim into going with him.

While that case is horrible and tragic for everyone concerned, it pales in comparison to the abuse of trust committed by Dr. Mohamed Kadirsahib, a Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba, doctor who took advantage of his trusted position to sexually abuse at least one of his patients.

A doctor is one of the few strangers we allow to touch our bodies.  We place our trust in doctors because they are supposed to be there to help us, to keep us safe and make us well when we are ill.  But what happens when they believe they can do anything they want, simply because they are a doctor?

That seems to be the case with Dr. Mohamed Kadirsahib.

A female patient was in his office in the Lac du Bonnet Health Centre on March 17, 2009 complaining of a recurring cough and he decided he would do as he pleased with her body while she was there.

Fortunately the woman he molested was strong-willed and willing to confront his behavior and report it to both  the RCMP and the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Judge Sid Lerner called his actions a “protracted sexual assault committed under the guise of a medical examination.”

Only when he was confronted by his patient after he placed his hands down her pants did he stop.

“His reaction was to remove his hands … and to attempt to do up her bra. When the complainant told him that she would do this herself, the accused began “fumbling around” the examining area, and appeared visibly upset and agitated,” Lerner said.

While the conviction has been entered in his case, Dr. Mohamed Kadirsahib remains free on bail until his sentencing hearing takes place, likely later this year.  Because he was charged summarily, the maximum sentence he can receive is 18 months in prison.

“Given that the accused’s physical interaction with the complainant was clearly beyond the pale of any legitimate medical examination, and was not conducted for a medical purpose…the accused clearly knew that the complainant did not consent to the type of physical contact in which he was actually engaged,” said Lerner, in his decision.

He was convicted in one case and acquitted in a second case where the [alleged] victim was a 19-year-old woman, but who knows how many women he actually victimized?

While I would like to think that his licence to practice medicine has been revoked, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba has not responded to my requests for answers about the status of Dr. Mohamed Kadirsahib’s medical licence.

UPDATE:  Marvin Giesbrecht, General Counsel for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba responded to my inquiry about Dr. Kadirsahib’s medical license, saying

The College of Physicians & Surgeons of Manitoba is aware of Dr. Kadirsahib’s conviction.  Dr. Kadirsahib is not currently registered with the College and is therefore not able to practice medicine in the province.  His conditional registration was cancelled effective December 16, 2010.

It would seem the College cancelled Dr. Kadirsahib’s as soon as they became aware of charges against the doctor.  It’s nice to see they responded so quickly.