Doctor arrested on suspicion of raping multiple patients during consultations 

Police in Portugal have arrested a doctor on suspicion of having raped several patients during consultations at a hospital.  

A doctor has been arrested and suspended from his duties in northern Portugal on suspicion of having raped several patients during consultations that he was carrying out in a hospital.  

The Portuguese Judicial Police (PJ) said in a statement, cited by 20Minutes on Thursday, May 11, that the doctor “who has no criminal record, is the alleged perpetrator of several crimes of rape and sexual coercion, which were committed since last year”. 

Authorities said that the victims of the 60-year-old doctor “submitted to the aforementioned practices, given the situation of dependency in which they found themselves, as well as the lack of knowledge related to the alleged medical procedures”. 

They also said that he was conducting the alleged practices under the pretext of making a “better diagnosis”. 

Although the police did not give any further details, local media reported that the doctor who has been arrested is an orthopaedic surgeon, who works at the Penafiel Hospital and in other private centres.  

The police stated that they do not rule out the possibility of other victims who have not ‘dared’ to come forward till now.

The doctor was subjected to his first judicial interrogation and, in addition to being suspended from his duties, in any public or private health centre, he is also prohibited from contacting the victims and witnesses in the case.