Psychiatrist Claudio de Novaes Soares faces hearing for sex abuse allegations

As reported by the CBC News

A Hamilton psychiatrist has a disciplinary hearing with the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons two years after allegations emerged that he sexually abused a female patient.

Dr. Claudio de Novaes Soares has not be licensed to practice medicine in Ontario since Sept. 1, 2012, around the same time he was set to take a high profile post at the University of Alberta as the head of the psychiatry program there.

Soares resigned his position with UofA around Sept. 24, two weeks after CBC News revealed allegations that he had sexual relations with a female patient while he was practicing at a Hamilton office affiliated with McMaster University.

A document outlining Soares’s disciplinary hearing at the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons alleges that between Nov. 2007 to May 2009 he made sexual remarks toward the female patient — referred to only as Patient A — and also engaged in fellatio and had sex with the woman.

“This behaviour constituted sexual abuse of Patient A by Dr. Soares and/or disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional conduct by Dr. Soares,” the document alleges.

The document also alleges Soares has “failed to co-operate” with an investigator assigned to his case.

He’s also accused of being “engaged in an act or omission relevant to the practice of medicine that, having regard to all the circumstances, would reasonably be regarded by members as disgraceful, dishonourable or unprofessional.”

Soares is set to appear at a series of disciplinary hearings in Toronto from Jan. 12-16 and Jan. 26-30, most of which will likely run throughout the entire day.

If the College’s discipline panel finds the accusations against Soares to be true, he may be reprimanded, fined up to $35,000 and his certificate of registration may be revoked.

While at McMaster, Soares was the associate chair of research in the department of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences. He was also director of the Women's Health Concerns Clinic.