City doctor Accused of sex Assaults
Physician had already given up licence following complaints from four women
The Regina doctor who is giving up his medical licence over allegations of inappropriate sexual touching is now facing criminal charges.
According to the Regina Police Service, 73-year-old Dr. Sylvester Ukabam was arrested on Thursday and charged with four counts of sexual assault. The allegations span a time period between 2012 and 2017, and involve adult women who ranged in age from their mid20s to late-50s, police said.
Ukabam was released by police to appear in court on Dec. 31.
The charges are the result of what police describe as a “lengthy investigation into allegations of sexual assault.”
Police said the investigation began in July 2017, when a woman came to police with an allegation her doctor had sexually assaulted her under the pretence of conducting a physical examination. The woman said the assault happened despite her protests that the supposed examination was unnecessary and unwanted.
During the course of the investigation, police learned of three other women who had shared similar allegations with another authority involving the same suspect, police said. While city police didn’t specify which authority, the Saskatchewan College of Physicians and Surgeons previously released information about its own dealings with Ukabam. The doctor was facing misconduct charges when, in October, he agreed he would give up his medical licence and never practice again.
According to the college, the misconduct charges relate to allegations Ukabam touched one woman’s vagina without a valid medical reason, and touched a second woman’s vagina and genitalia without a valid medical reason or consent.
At the time Ukabam agreed to give up his licence, the college noted the allegations were neither admitted nor proven. Instead, the matter was considered closed when the doctor agreed to never again practice medicine anywhere in the world, effective 60 days from Oct. 9.
In the meantime, Ukabam is subject to a variety of conditions, including no in-person professional encounters with female patients without a female chaperone and no physical exams on any females.
He is also restricted from performing procedures requiring physical contact with a female patient, and is to post a clearly visible sign in any location where he sees female patients stating he will not see them without a chaperone.
City police said the investigation will continue “as may be needed,” and are asking anyone with information to contact the RPS at 306-777-6500 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
City police spokeswoman Elizabeth Popowich said police have not ruled out the possibility there might be other complainants who have not yet come forward.
“(The RPS media release) certainly indicates that there may be things that we don’t know about,” she said. “And if anyone — as with any incident we’re dealing with — when and if a person feels that they have been a victim of a crime, they’re encouraged to report to us.”
Popowich said there is always a concern with cases like this that “there may be other incidents or allegations that we don’t know of.
“This is an individual that by virtue of his work had access to many people,” she said.