Belgian psychiatrist Walter Vandereycken deregistered (lost his license) over sexual abuse

As seen in this report from BioEdge, a weekly newsletter about cutting-edge bioethical issues.

A Belgian psychiatrist who sexually abused a patient who subsequently sought euthanasia has been deregistered.

Walter Vandereycken’s offences surfaced in 2012 when Ann G, a woman with anorexia nervosa, accused him on Terzake, a well-known current affairs program. He was suspended from his position as a professor at the Catholic University of Leuven (KULeuven), but continued in private practice. Now he has been suspended for life from the medical profession. (See original report in BioEdge.)

Vandereycken, who is now 65, was no ordinary psychiatrist. Apart from being a sexologist, he was an international expert on anorexia (with a textbook published in English). Apparently he had been abusing patients for years; colleagues suspected, but no one blew the whistle.

When Ann G appeared on Terzake, she had apparently already requested euthanasia. Going public gave her a brief respite from "the cancer in her head". However, she was bitterly disappointed that the man who had victimised her had not been severely disciplined. Then, overseen by a kindly new psychiatrist, she exercised her option.

Oddly enough, none of the newspaper reports mentioned her death.

Terzake is a Dutch sews and current affairs TV magazine, presented by Lieven Verstraete or Annelies Beck.