MEDIA
Mass Killer’s Psych Sued
UPI Widow sues suspect's psychiatrist Jan. 15, 2013 DENVER, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- A woman whose husband was killed in a Colorado massacre has filed a lawsuit accusing a psychiatrist of failing to use "reasonable care" in treating the suspect. James Holmes Chantel Blunk is taking legal action against the University of Colorado, Dr. Lynne Fenton and five other defendants whose names were not mentioned in the suit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Denver, The Denver Post reported. Blunk's husband, Jonathan Blunk, was one of 12 people killed in Aurora, Colo., July 20, when James Holmes, 24, [...]
Psychiatrists in the Courts
Courier Journal Edward 'Dale' Bagshaw's murder trial delayed after defense objects to court-appointed psychiatrist By Charlie White Jan 17, 2013 The murder case against Edward “Dale” Bagshaw was delayed until at least Friday after a last-minute objection by his defense attorney over the possibility of the court-appointed psychiatrist having a conflict of interest. Bagshaw, 47, is accused of using a pocketknife to stab his estranged wife, Kelly Bagshaw, 30, dozens of times inside her car near his Jeffersonville apartment, where she had come to pick up their two young children. The final witness slated to testify before closing arguments Wednesday [...]
Jury to Start Deliberations in Psych Sex Case Friday
Vancouver Sun Defence wraps up argument in Calgary psychiatrist sex assault trial By Bill Graveland January 21, 2013 CALGARY - The lawyer for a Calgary psychiatrist charged with sexually assaulting several of his patients launched a verbal attack on the main Crown witness during his final arguments Monday. Dr. Aubrey Levin, 74, is charged with assaulting nine of his patients. The allegations came to light in 2010 after one of the patients came forward with secret videos he recorded during court-ordered sessions with the psychiatrist. The videos, played in court last fall, show Levin undoing the man's belt and jeans [...]
Psych’s Patients Asked to Contact the Police
London Free Press Former patients of suspended psychiatrist Stanley Dobrowolski asked to contact police By Jennifer O'Brien January 24, 2013 Psychiatrist - Stanley Dobrowolski London police are asking former patients of suspended psychiatrist Stanley Dobrowolski to contact them after finding disturbing videos of women on his computers. In videos taken between 2007 and 2012, at least seven women are shown undergoing physical examination by Dobrowolski -- who is already facing sexual assault and voyeurism charges related to another former patient -- said London Police Insp. Kevin Heslop. "They were videoed without their knowledge in situations where he conducted [...]
BUSTED
Globe and Mail Calgary psychiatrist found guilty of sexually assaulting patients Bill Graveland Jan. 29 2013 Psychiatrist Aubrey Levin After days of deliberation, a jury found a Calgary psychiatrist guilty Monday on three counts of sexual assault against his male patients. Dr. Aubrey Levin stood quietly and without outward emotion as he was found not guilty on two counts and a mistrial was declared on four other counts. Court will reconvene on those matters on March 15 to set a date for a new trial. Sentencing on his three sexual assault charges is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. Dr. Levin [...]
Psych Handed Five-Year Sentence
Calgary Herald Calgary psychiatrist handed five-year sentence By Daryl Slade January 31, 2013 Once a prominent forensic psychiatrist tasked with interviewing and writing reports on offenders in custody, Dr. Aubrey Levin is now a convicted sex offender, facing a lengthy prison term. Levin, 74, who was convicted by a jury on Monday of sexually abusing three of his patients, was sentenced on Thursday to five years. “Dr. Levin, your actions in sexually assaulting (RB, GP and WG), constitute horrible violations of the trust that these the patients put in you as their psychiatrist,” Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Donna Shelley [...]
Sentencing for Psych Today
CBC News Ex-psychiatrist's rabbi calls prison term 'death sentence' Aubrey Levin sexually assaulted 3 male patients in Calgary Jan 30, 2013 Former psychiatrist Aubrey Levin refused to speak to reporters following sentencing arguments Wednesday. (Meghan Grant/CBC) Sentencing arguments concluded late Wednesday afternoon for Aubrey Levin, the former psychiatrist found guilty this week of sexually assaulting three of his male patients. Levin refused to answer any questions asked by reporters outside of the courtroom. The judge will sentence Levin on Thursday at 11 a.m. MT. Levin, 74, who had served in the past as a court-appointed psychiatrist, was originally [...]
Psychiatrist caught video-taping patient without her knowledge
Blackburn News Psychiatrist Case Back in Court January 8th, 2013 Psychiatrist - Stanley Dobrowolski The case of a London psychiatrist accused of video-taping a patient without her knowledge returns to court today. Stanley Dobrowolski’s lawyer will appear to receive evidence from the Crown. The 64-year-old psychiatrist is charged with one count of voyeurism and one count of sexual assault. In November, Dobrowolski was released on bail under very strict instructions not to contact the alleged victim nor or any of his former patients and not to write any prescriptions.
Psych License Revoked – Sex with Patient – Blames Brain Injury
TheDay.com New London, CT State fines East Lyme doctor for lapses in care By Kate Farrish, Conn. Health I-Team Writer 12/20/2012 Excerpt: In other business Tuesday, the board revoked the Connecticut medical license of Dr. Michael Anthony of Shrewsbury, Mass., a psychiatrist who also had an office in Putnam, CT. It took the action based on findings in Massachusetts that Anthony had violated patient confidentiality and had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a female patient. Massachusetts officials revoked his license in 2011 after concluding he had acted unprofessionally in treating the woman. Anthony had argued that his judgment was impaired [...]
Victim of Psych Fights Back
Calgary Herald Witness denies trying to extort psychiatrist By Jason Van Rassel January 8, 2013 Psychiatrist Aubrey Levin Repeated outbursts on the stand earned a contempt-of-court citation for the Crown's main witness against a former Calgary forensic psychiatrist accused of molesting several male patients. The witness, whose identity is protected by a publication ban, became angry when defence lawyer Chris Archer suggested the man secretly recorded Dr. Aubrey Levin fondling his genitals during appointments in an attempt to extort money from him. "You think I liked that?" the man said, adding he did it to prevent Levin from victimizing [...]
Shocking Numbers – CA Psych’s Pay
California State Psychiatrist Paid Twice as much as the President News10.net Calif. state psychiatrists' see salary increase with bidding war By Jonathan Mumm Dec 13, 2012 Gov. Jerry Brown may be the state's top official, but his salary as governor is over four times less than what one particular state psychiatrist made last year. While the median salary for state psychiatrists across the country was $195,000, here in California 93 made more than $300,000 and another 15 made over $400,000. However, one psychiatrist, Dr. Mohammad Safi, made over $822,000. Safi is currently on administrative leave, his case under investigation. Department [...]
Psychiatrist paid patient $42,200 to keep secret about affair
New Zealand Herald Psychiatrist denies affair with patient By Abby Gillies Dec 15, 2012 A married psychiatrist accused of a sexual relationship spanning countries and almost a year has been found in breach of professional and legal standards. When the affair came to light, the doctor allegedly paid his 24-year-old patient $42,200 to try to keep it secret from authorities. In a recently released report, the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) found the psychiatrist, referred to only as Dr C, entered an ongoing intimate relationship with the patient, Ms A, a woman who suffered from fear of separation, difficulty connecting [...]
Psychiatrists: “Dark Day for Psychiatry”
The Guardian Anger as French psychiatrist found guilty of manslaughter because patient killed By Angelique Chrisafis 19 December 2012 French psychiatrists' unions have reacted angrily after a doctor was found guilty of manslaughter because her patient hacked an elderly man to death. In the first case of its kind in France, Daniele Canarelli, 58, a psychiatrist based at the Edouard-Toulouse hospital in Marseille, was sentenced to one year's suspended prison sentence as judges said she had committed the "grave error" of failing to recognise the public danger posed by Joel Gaillard, her patient of four years. French psychiatrist Daniele [...]
Psychiatrist Arrested for Declaring Woman Kookie
Times of India Psychiatrist held for certifying woman mentally ill Nov 24, 2012 A psychiatrist, who allegedly issued a false certificate declaring a healthy woman as mentally challenged, was arrested by Vanasthalipuram police on Friday. Cyberabad police said, A Shekhar Reddy, a private practitioner, was approached by advocate B Sriramulu for a certificate declaring his wife B Manjula mentally unsound. "On the request of Sriramulu, Shekhar issued a false certificate and a few prescriptions which declared that Nirmala was mentally unsound. Actually she is mentally and physically sound. During investigation, it was found that Sriramulu hatched this plan to [...]
Psych Busted by Spy Camera
Calgary Herald Key witness to testify as Dr. Levin sex trial resumes Thursday By Daryl Slade November 14, 2012 The sex assault trial of former prominent forensic psychiatrist Dr. Aubrey Levin, which has been plagued by numerous delays over the past six weeks, is expected to be back on track on Thursday. The jury, which has heard just a few days of evidence since the trial before Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Donna Shelley began in early October, should hear first from the original complainant, R.B., when it returns. When R.B. testified briefly a month ago, the two videos he [...]
Psychs Lament Passing of TeenScreen
Psychiatrist David ShafferTeenScreen Creator Globe Gazette Officials lament program loss to screen for teen depression December 1, 2012 By Deb Nicklay MASON CITY — Local educators and mental health professionals say they are concerned that Teen Screen, a program that helped identify more than 400 North Iowa students grappling with issues of depression and suicide, will soon end. Columbia University, which developed the screening tool, will no longer allow use of the program after Dec. 14. It has been used in North Iowa since 2006, and conducted under the auspices of United Way of North Central Iowa. On Nov. [...]
Psychiatrist talks real estate during session
Mercury News Marin County psychiatrist disciplined over alleged real-estate talks with patient By Gary Klien, Marin Independent Journal December 3, 2012 MARIN COUNTY -- A Kentfield psychiatrist was reprimanded by state regulators on allegations he used a patient's therapy sessions to talk about the real estate business, the state medical board said. Dr. Stephen Merritt Raffle was "grossly negligent" and committed "multiple boundary violations" by discussing his business experience and referring the patient to real estate lawyers and lenders, according to a filing by Linda Whitney, executive director of the board. The board also alleged that Raffle failed to create [...]
Psych Fined $325,000 – Gives Up Practice
Nashville Public Radio: Psychiatrist Accused of TennCare Fraud to Pay Fine, Give Up Practice by Bradley George Monday, December 03rd, 2012 A Madison psychiatrist will give up his practice and pay a six-figure fine, after allegations that he over-billed TennCare by nearly a million dollars. The state Attorney General says AKM Fakhruddin saw about 150 TennCare patients. Most of the appointments were to make an adjustment to medication, lasting just a few minutes. Prosecutors say Fakhruddin would bill the state for full psychotherapy sessions. These kind of appointments usually last about an hour, but Fakhruddin sometimes claimed to see as [...]
Proof – Psychiatrists are an Unethical Bunch
National Post Psychiatrists four times as likely as other Canadian doctors to be disciplined for sexual misconduct: study Tom Blackwell Dec 6, 2012 Psychiatrists are twice as likely as other Canadian doctors to face professional discipline generally and almost four times as apt to be sanctioned for sexual misconduct, concludes a new study that underscores long-held concerns about the speciality. Experts blame the problem in part on psychiatrists’ unusually close and long relationships with their patients, compared to surgeons and some other specialists who often have relatively brief contact with the people they treat. Past research has suggested many of [...]
Will he get the slammer?
Luckily, one patient got one of the sexual assaults on his spy cam. Calgary Herald Complainant in Levin trial stands by his allegations of sexual assault By Daryl Slade December 10, 2012 The original sex assault complainant against former forensic psychiatrist Dr. Aubrey Levin became agitated and frustrated under an intense cross-examination on Monday. But he never wavered from his allegations that he was molested on the majority of at least 30 occasions between 2002 and 2010 while on court-ordered visits to the psychiatrist. On one occasion, when pressed about the alleged incidents in March 2010, R.B. told lawyer Chris [...]
Victim of psychiatrist’s testicle-zap therapy says pain excruciating
Lake Alice Mental Health Hospital www.nzherald.co.nz By Martin Johnston May 24, 2012 Zapping a teenage boy on the testicles with an electric shock machine because he was considered naughty was an act far outside normal practice, a medical academic told police. "In summary, Dr [Selwyn] Leeks' treatments appeared to depart significantly from the standards of the day," wrote Dr Garry Walter, professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Sydney. "This was in the areas of his direct clinical care - including his method of use of electrical treatments, and his dubious reasons for some of [...]
Sex with Patient
Telegraph Herald Iowa psychiatrist Sergio Paradiso gives up medical license over sex with patient - Ex-university psychiatrist gives up medical license By Associated Press November 21, 2012 State board accepts a settlement with Paradiso, who was accused of having sex with a patient. A former psychiatrist at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has agreed to surrender his medical license to settle a complaint that he had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a female patient, state regulators said Tuesday. The Iowa Board of Medicine released its settlement agreement with Sergio Paradiso, 49, who was accused of engaging in sexual misconduct [...]
Weston psychiatrist Mark Willner gets 10 years in federal prison
Sun Sentinel Weston doctor imprisoned for healthcare fraud in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale By Paula McMahon October 1, 2012 A Weston psychiatrist was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $51.9 million in restitution Monday for his role in what prosecutors called "one of the largest and most brazen health care fraud conspiracies in recent memory." Dr. Mark Willner, who practiced in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit health care fraud earlier this year. He has been locked up at the Federal Detention Center in Miami since the [...]
NY Psychiatrist comes up from behind employees and…
The Daily Gazette Schenectady/Albany Psychiatrist accused of touching staffers June 12, 2012 By Justin Mason Police arrested a psychiatrist on misdemeanor sexual abuse charges for allegedly rubbing up against two employees at his Colonie office on separate occasions in May. Kevin W. George, 52, of East Schodack was charged with two counts of third-degree sexual abuse and two counts of forcible touching. He was arraigned in Colonie Town Court and released on his own recognizance Friday. Lt. Robert Winn said both of the women were clerical employees at Psychopharmacology Consultants Of Albany. He said the women both reported that George [...]
Michael Bengala, Florida Psychiatrist, Charged by Feds in Drug Case
Drug Enforcement Administration June 27, 2012 Contact: Mia Ro, PIO Miami Division Federal Investigation Takes Down New Breed of Pill Mills in Florida --Seven Doctors, Seven Clinic Owners, Including Firemen, Charged in Operation Pill Street Blues-- Psychiatrist Michael Bengala VERO BEACH, FL – Seven doctors and seven clinic owners, which included two firemen were charged on state racketeering violations spanning across Florida. This morning’s operation dubbed “Operation Pill Street Blues” was announced by Mark R. Trouville, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Miami Field Division; Pam Bondi, Attorney General of Florida, Deryl Loar, Sheriff, Indian River [...]