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ABC News
6 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
Doctor banned for sexual relationship and inadequate care provided to vulnerable patient
A "selfish, cruel and calculated" GP has been banned from practising for four years for having sex with a vulnerable, mentally-unwell patient who he also "dangerously" prescribed high-risk medication. South Australian doctor Indren Moodley's registration as a medical practitioner was suspended in late 2021 over allegations he "comprehensively breached the boundaries of the doctor-patient relationship". The Medical Board of Australia referred a complaint about the then-doctor on three grounds, alleging professional misconduct to the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which has cancelled his registration until February 2029. In its ruling, published this month but delivered in February, the tribunal found Mr Moodley preyed on the "serious and complex" vulnerabilities of the young adult female patient, who was more than two decades younger than him. "We are satisfied that the respondent used the position of trust he had developed with the patient to exploit those vulnerabilities and to manipulate her, essentially in a calculated campaign to groom her to satisfy his own needs," the tribunal found. The ruling noted the then-doctor obtained the patient's mobile phone number from her medical records three weeks after she first saw him, and they exchanged 909 text messages involving "inappropriate, personal, non-clinical and sexual" content over 12 days. The tribunal noted Mr Moodley had invited the patient to his home and offered her alcohol despite knowing she had recently attended an alcohol detox program. He also had sexual intercourse with her. "It is particularly egregious that, despite the respondent's knowledge of the patient's alcohol addiction and her recent discharge from hospital for alcohol detoxification, he supplied and encouraged the patient to drink wine on the occasion they had sexual intercourse," the tribunal found. It also noted the then-doctor's care of the patient was inadequate as he failed to take a detailed medical history, a mental health referral lacked necessary details and he prescribed "high-risk" benzodiazepines inappropriately, including while she was in hospital under the care of other medical practitioners. "The respondent took advantage of the patient's multiple vulnerabilities and abused the power imbalance between them for his personal sexual satisfaction," the tribunal's ruling states. "His conduct was seriously unethical, predatory and cruel. "As her treating practitioner, the respondent was well aware of her vulnerabilities." The ruling also published an excerpt of a statement from the patient, in which she said Mr Moodley's conduct had "a big impact" on her, including causing sleeping problems and a distrust of men. "I am absolutely hurt and feel used and manipulated by a person who knew my physical and mental illnesses," she said in the statement. The tribunal noted no complaints had been previously made about Mr Moodley, but there was a "limit to the positive weight we can place on this given our findings as to the selfish, cruel and calculated campaign the respondent engaged in to satisfy his needs to the patient's serious detriment". It also noted he had admitted the grounds of complaint made against him and had shown insight and remorse. In the ruling, the tribunal said a "strong sanction" against Mr Moodley was necessary to protect the public, and acknowledged he had struggled with his mental health, professional and personal embarrassment and unemployment since his suspension in 2021. The tribunal reprimanded the doctor, cancelled his registration and banned him from providing any health service or applying for registration for four years from the date of the ruling on February 10, 2025. He was also banned from using the title "doctor" or "Dr" while unregistered.
Daily Mail
27-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Wife loses control of $25million assets after kids revealed despicable reason she should not have sole power of attorney over dementia-suffering husband
A wife who was given sole power of attorney over her dementia-suffering husband has lost control of their $25million wealth after the court heard she cheated on him. Queensland 's Civil and Administrative Tribunal this month determined the farmer wouldn't have allowed his wife control over their estate if he was able to recall her affair. Their wealth was valued at $24.5million in June 2024 and was mostly comprised of rural land holdings. Disputes within the family on what to do with one of the main properties saw the matter land in front of the tribunal, the Courier Mail reported. The wife was open to selling the property while two of the couple's children were concerned they'd miss out on the benefits of inheriting the property - a decision their father didn't have the capacity to weigh in on. At the centre of the tribunal's decision was a document which declared the wife power of attorney over the farmer's health, personal and financial matters, and his children as successive attorneys. The Queenslander had struggled with symptoms of cognitive decline, likely mixed Alzheimer's dementia/vascular dementia, for several years before appointing his wife and his daughter severally as his attorneys in 2022. This was followed by a document declaring only his wife as attorney in September 2023. The farmer's children sought to have the 2023 document nullified, arguing their father's cognitive capacity significantly declined after 2022. They claimed their father could not go shopping, prepare meals or carry out domestic tasks when he appointed his wife as his only attorney. The wife admitted that by the end of 2022 her husband's behaviour had shifted so drastically 'that the person she had once known was not there anymore'. She told her husband of her affair in August of 2023 - just one month before she was appointed his sole attorney. 'His immediate reaction was extreme distress,' tribunal member Clare Endicott said. 'Being in tears, threatening suicide and exhibiting emotional collapse.' However, the farmer would often forget about his wife's infidelity unless prompted by others. 'When he did recall this information, he was fearful that his wife's relationship could result in his assets being accessed by another man,' Ms Endicott said. 'The tribunal is satisfied that (he) did not want (her) to be in control of his finances at those times when he had recall of his wife's relationship. 'That is, when he lacked trust in his wife due to her new relationship.' The tribunal determined the farmer most likely would not have appointed his wife as his sole attorney if he'd had the capacity to remember her affair. It declared the 2023 document invalid and sought submissions on how to proceed with future management of the farmer's affairs.
