MONTREAL -- A Montreal doctor has been found guilty of performing sexual acts after a patient claimed he gave her an inappropriate massage.
According to Quebec's Collège des Médecins, the woman, who cannot be identified, went to see David William Patterson for anxiety after she was shocked by a toaster while on vacation in the Dominican Republic.
The patient says during her first appointment, on Jan. 15, 2014, Patterson offered to do a complete physical exam. She says she refused at first, but was persuaded to do one anyway.
"He conducted a neurological test, checking her eyes and her ears, before proceeding to do two breast exams, one when she was lying down and the second when she was sitting," the Collège des Médecins document states.
With her upper body fully exposed, the woman claims Patterson proceeded to massage her head, neck and feet.
"According to the patient, he examined every centimetre of her body and mentioned the different areas that needed to be massaged regularly," the document notes. "He even told her that her partner should massage her every night to reduce her anxiety."
After about 90 minutes, the woman says the consultation ended and she was booked for a second appointment one week later, on Jan. 22, 2014.
Once again, she mentioned her anxiety and informed Patterson that her upper back was sore after doing yoga.
"He asked her to take off her shirt, passing his hand along her spine. The patient says he squeezed her softly and massaged her back for around one to two minutes," the document states.
According to the woman, he then asked her to lay face-down on the examination table; without asking, she alleges he removed her bra.
Once again, she says he began massaging her, starting with her head before gliding his hands down in between her buttocks.
"He asked her to remove her jeans, leaving her in just her underwear," the document finds. "He then took a pot labelled 'Vaseline,' and put some on his hands to continue massaging her. The patient says he was not wearing gloves."
The disciplinary board notes Patterson then ran his fingers close to her genitals and down her inner thighs. It states he then asked her to turn over onto her back and continued massaging her, leaving her breasts exposed.
"He massaged her breasts directly for four to five minutes," it added.
The patient claims she was booked for a third appointment, but never showed up because she felt the massages were "sexual in nature."
She says she confided in a friend who works as a nurse, who advised her to file a complaint with Quebec's Collège des Médecins, as well as Montreal police. Patterson pleaded not guilty to the claims.
In its judgment, the College said it believed the patient, noting her account of events seemed credible. It also argued the doctor's actions were sexually abusive.
Patterson was found guilty of exercising unprofessional behaviour towards a patient, as well as unlawfully performing acts of a sexual nature.
The College notes Patterson is no longer one of its members as his temporary licence expired in 2015.