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AIBU?

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Original poster

Doctor who harassed/abused two women suspended (content warning - domestic violence)

26 replies

DomesticatedZombie · 04/02/2022 07:48

This doctor was violent. Repeatedly. Three women (all colleagues, one who had been in a relationship with him) complained, two had their complaints against him upheld.

His harassment of Dr A continued for two years and included pinning her to the wall, breaking into her house and various other incidences of threats and abuse.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-60242035

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/doctor-who-climbed-through-colleagues-22956990

www.mpts-uk.org/hearings-and-decisions/medical-practitioners-tribunals/dr-arruran-sivakumar-oct-21

The tribunal have suspended him from practising for nine months. He can appeal.

AIBU to think he should be struck off and never allowed to work as a doctor again?

OP posts:
AlistairSim · 04/02/2022 07:53

He should be in prison.
There really doesn't seem to be anything that men can't get away with.

TheGreatATuin · 04/02/2022 07:53

This is shocking. I don't understand how he's not in prison, never mind struck off.
Along with the latest police revelations, its clear how little violence against women is taken seriously.
What on earth can we do to change it?

KittenKong · 04/02/2022 07:56

Immature? Mature enough to have studied and qualified as a doctor and studying to be a surgeon? So not exactly 12 - mid 20s maybe?

Original poster
DomesticatedZombie · 04/02/2022 07:57

And, Kitten, senior to all of the women doctors involved.

OP posts:
PurgatoryOfPotholes · 04/02/2022 07:57

He broke into her house. He tried to strangle her. (Let's call a spade a spade.)

Is he in prison? No! According to the article, he's training to be a surgeon!

FrancescaContini · 04/02/2022 08:01

There should be zero tolerance of male doctors behaving like this. He has blown any trust that any female colleagues or patients would have in him. I agree that he should be permanently banned from practising as a medic.

Soul11Soul · 04/02/2022 08:06

It's really really awful. When I read the article there was another article below about a male nurse who had been struck off for sexual harassment- pointing to another man's crotch and calling his penis a peanut and some touching in front of others. So where there is threat or perceived threat a man it is treated way more seriously than when there is actual threat to several women. Classism, homophobia and misogyny ...oh my!

SolasAnla · 04/02/2022 08:07

Nope, violent stalkers make great medical doctors.
Research has not shown that males who use neck holds on ex-partners are not x-times more likely to kill partners than ones dont.
Dont most people commit acts of breaking and entry and false imprisonment when they feel the need to communicate?
It will be fine, sterotypical surgeon, they have always had reputstion for rotten bedside behaviours ....

Soul11Soul · 04/02/2022 08:08

www.walesonline.co.uk/news/uk-news/nurse-struck-after-sexually-harassing-22956698

Clearly this is also completely unacceptable and I'm in no way condoning it. I'm just interested in the how the two cases resulted in such different consequences.

Lockheart · 04/02/2022 08:09

He's not in prison because he was in front of a medical standards tribunal and they don't have the power to imprison someone. It's a disciplinary professional body, not a court.

Why he is not facing criminal charges I have no idea. Perhaps he is and we don't know about it - at least I hope that's the case but I suspect not.

I think he should have been permanently suspended. We do have a serious shortage of medical staff in this country, perhaps that pressure influenced the panel, who knows.

bishophaha · 04/02/2022 08:14

It really is relentless, isn't it? This guy was someone's boss, colleague and many people's surgeon. (And will pick up being those things in a matter of months).

Makes me shudder wondering how many men you encounter in normal life just happen to be the type to break into women's bedroom windows or hold them by the throat.

Plus, related or not?

www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jan/04/women-more-likely-die-operation-male-surgeon-study

Women operating on women and men, and men operating on men, have a similar complication rate. But for men operating on women it's far worse.

Lockheart · 04/02/2022 08:20

I've had a skim through the full report (it's 113 pages long!) and I note that most of the allegations have 'to be determined' next to them. There are very few 'admitted / found proved' in comparison.

On that basis I can start to understand how they reached a suspension of only 9 months - the onus of proof is on the GMC and if they can't prove he did these things then they'll be limited in what they can do.

Original poster
DomesticatedZombie · 04/02/2022 08:31

Some of the more serious allegations were found proven, though, Lockheart. It seems beyond doubt he stalked, harassed, abused and assaulted at least one woman.

OP posts:
BlowDryRat · 04/02/2022 08:58

YANBU. He should be in prison, not practising medicine. I feel incredibly sorry for his colleagues and patients.

Bonheurdupasse · 04/02/2022 09:13

Why was he only suspended??? And not struck off!

Original poster
DomesticatedZombie · 04/02/2022 10:29

Indeed, Bonheur. I would not want to be treated by this man, nor do I think it sensible or fair to allow vulnerable women to be treated by him.

OP posts:
Frigginintheriggin · 04/02/2022 10:38

He has been named. Let's hope that name sticks in the minds of patients and colleagues of this abuser and people vote with their feet if he's reinstated in 9 months.
If the panel found him accountable for at least some of the allegations here's hoping the police can and will do the rest 🤞
I would refuse treatment from this 'man' and would not work with him either if I was in that field!

Goatsaregreat · 04/02/2022 10:45

I'd like to think that he'd be unemployable and that no hospital would ever employ him out of concern for the safety of women patients and staff. Sadly, having seen that numerous NHS Trusts have developed policies to ensure that male born sex offenders (who say they're women) must be placed on women's hospital wards, I have limited faith in the medical profession's interest women's safety:

www.womenarehuman.com/nhs-guidance-allows-male-patients-including-sex-offenders-in-female-only-wards/

littlbrowndog · 04/02/2022 13:45

He assaulted her.

Should be arrested by the police

Immature. Ffs he assaulted a woman and strangled her after breaking into her house

PurgatoryOfPotholes · 04/02/2022 14:05

Exactly, littl. If he's so immature he can't understand that you don't break into houses, then he's too immature to be trusted to prescribe drugs, never mind perform surgery.

BewareTheBeardedDragon · 05/02/2022 08:24

It's depressing and disgusting.

KittenKong · 05/02/2022 08:27

But who the hell will employ him again?

MissyB1 · 05/02/2022 08:33

Is he employed at the moment? Most hospital trusts would not want his name associated with their organisation.

Original poster
DomesticatedZombie · 05/02/2022 08:36

It wasn't quite clear, Missy. I have heard that being suspended can damage job prospects; I would hope that this judgement would give hospitals pause. But there is a Dr shortage. He may be working again before the end of the year.

OP posts:
OmgIThinkILikeYou · 05/02/2022 08:49

I read your title as 'doctor who' and was wondering what the fuck was going on.