Crown stays one of 10 sex charges against former psychiatrist
The Crown has stayed a sexual assault charge against Dr. Aubrey Levin, leaving the former forensic psychiatrist still facing allegations by nine complainants in his ongoing trial that began Oct. 1.
Prosecutor Bill Wister advised the jury on Thursday of his decision to stay the charge relating to DSG, who had alleged Levin sexually molested him at court-ordered visits in his office at Peter Lougheed Centre between Feb. 23, 2010, and March 19, 2010.
DSG had not yet testified during the trial.
Wister did not provide any reasons to the jury for the decision. Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Donna Shelley only told them “the Crown will not call any evidence on count 10.”
That leaves only one complainant to testify and one other — the original complainant RB — to complete cross-examination.
Levin, 73, originally faced allegations by 21 complainants prior to his preliminary hearing in May 2011. Three of the charges were withdrawn during the three-week hearing, and eight others were dismissed at its conclusion in June 2011.
He has pleaded not guilty to all allegations and, in a videotaped police statement played in court, he claimed he was conducting a medical procedure related to erectile dysfunction and sexual transmitted diseases on the patients.
The original complainant went to police in March 2010 after videotaping his last two sessions with the doctor with a Spy Watch camera. The tapes were played in court. The final session showed Levin fondling RB’s genitals for nearly 15 minutes.
He claimed he had been sexually abused as many as 30 times by the psychiatrist.
Levin, 72, has been a doctor since 1964 in South Africa and came to Canada in 1998.