Psychiatrist's sexual conduct scrutinised

From the Australian publication The Age

The Victoria Medical Practitioners Board will examine a judge's comments about former child psychiatrist Dr Selwyn Leeks when deciding whether to investigate sexual misconduct complaints against him.

County Court judge Jim Duggan last week awarded a woman $55,000 in damages after finding that Dr Leeks had taken advantage of her for his sexual gratification. The woman was a psychiatrist patient.

Judge Duggan said the controversial doctor's behaviour was reprehensible and a gross dereliction of duty. The patient, whose history includes physical and sexual abuse and psychiatric illnesses, saw Dr Leeks about eight times in 1979 or 1980.

During the consultations, which became increasingly more sexual, he fondled her breasts and digitally penetrated her. Dr Leeks claimed he had no recollection of the woman and denied any sexual impropriety.

But Judge Duggan said: "… this was a most serious series of assaults. The defendant grossly abused his position and took advantage of a particularly vulnerable patient."

Dr Leeks, 77, recently undertook not to practise any more, avoiding an inquiry by the medical board into allegations that he had used electric-shock treatment to punish young children in New Zealand in the 1970s.

The board had been investigating the electric-shock allegations for seven years. But after Dr Leeks promised to give up practising on the eve of a board hearing last month, the board wrote to 16 New Zealand complainants saying it had decided not to proceed with a formal hearing into his professional conduct.

The woman involved in the sexual misconduct case also complained to the medical board. A spokeswoman said the board would consider the court judgement when deciding whether to proceed with an investigation.