Testimony of accuser ‘unreliable’: defence
A Windsor woman who says a local psychiatrist forced her to have sex with him in exchange for his signature on her Ontario Disability Support Program application should not be believed, the doctor’s criminal trial heard Wednesday.
The trial of Dr. Ravishankar Thimmangur Shenava, also known as Dr. Ravi Shenava, heard closing submissions from the prosecution and defence Wednesday. David Humphrey, one of Shenava’s two defence lawyers, told court the woman’s testimony is “entirely unreliable.”
Shenava, 67, is on trial, charged with five counts of sexual assault and one count of extortion. His accuser says he forced her to masturbate him and have intercourse with him in 2012 and 2015 while he was her doctor.
Shenava faces similar accusations of sexual assault from five more women in a separate trial yet to be scheduled. And, in separate proceedings still, Shenava is scheduled to go before a disciplinary hearing of the Ontario College of Physicians and surgeons where 11 patients have filed complaints of sexual abuse.
In the meantime, Shenava retains his medical licence, but is not allowed to be alone with patients.
In court Wednesday, Shenava’s lawyer pointed to the accuser’s long criminal record and statement on the witness stand that she wanted to take Shenava “to the cleaners.”
Humphrey said the woman fabricated a tale of sexual assault for financial gain.
She didn’t go to police with her complaint at first, but instead visited a civil lawyer.
The 36-year-old woman, who admitted to working as an escort and selling drugs to supplement welfare, has committed break-ins and thefts. Such crimes of “dishonesty” undermine her credibility, Humphrey argued.
The woman said Shenava sent her to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases because he wanted to know if she was clean before having sex with her. Humphrey argued Shenava was being “a conscientious physician,” worried about her health after she disclosed to him that she worked as an escort.
While, according to her testimony, she had opportunity to record the alleged encounters with Shenava or keep samples of his semen, she never did, Humphrey said.
“The explanation is, it just never happened.”
Assistant Crown attorney Jennifer Holmes argued the woman was credible because she freely offered uncomplimentary information about herself. For example, she admitted to crimes that don’t appear on her criminal record, including having stolen about 800 cars in her lifetime.
“She has been one of the most honest, dishonest witnesses I’ve ever seen.”
Shenava did not testify at the trial.
Superior Court Justice Renee Pomerance, hearing the case without a jury, will give her judgment next month.