Gold Coast Doctor hogties Child

[azureline**]

http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/life/crime/gold-coast-doctor-faces-child-abuse-allegations/

I am just lost for words.

[azureline**]

He is being investigated and as to how I came across it, it was sent to me in a personal email. I am also acquainted with several families who use this paediatrician for their children. They are very surprised at this.

[twinkles**stars]

Sounds like he may have had a break down. Anyone that tells a child  “I’ll take you to the toilet. I’ll put your head down the toilet.” 
is not of sound mind

[*crikey*mate*]

WOW - my first thoughts were I can't believe he still wears that red spotted bow tie.... He was one of the peady's we visited 16 years ago, and whilst I had no complaints, The Crikey Kinder refused to go back as he took a dislike to his bowtie.

It is still difficult to believe or rather incomprehensible as I'm assumning that those pictures aren't doctored etc (no pun intended), that this Dr would do this. He is a very well respected Dr on the Gold Coast although moreso for kids with ADHD - he wasn't renowned for his expertise in PDD's or ASD's as far as I know or was advised.

What I find to be further incomprehensible though is that this child's GP or School Principal didn't take any action. Maybe, whilst I don't condone it,  I "get" the GP, maybe there is some unspoken code of ethics where you don't dob on your mate and subject yourself to professional suicide....

but his school principal? Seriously?

If we have the entire story, and it is at it appears, I hope that all three of them face criminal charges.

What I'm wondering though is why the mother didn't take the matter to the police herself. It says she went to "anyone who would listen", so did the police fail to initially act as well?

[azureline**]

Perhaps she didn't know she could go to the police and thought it was a medical ethics matter.

So you can still see it Crikey?

[*crikey*mate*]

---

@twinkles**stars wrote:

Sounds like he may have had a break down. Anyone that tells a child  “I’ll take you to the toilet. I’ll put your head down the toilet.” 
is not of sound mind

---

Whilst certainly not professional conduct, atm those "quotes" are here say and provided out of context.

We don't know if they are exact. We don't know if they were posed as a question in response to something the child or mother said.

Also notice that whilst there are pictures showing the child being restrained, there are none proving that he was sat on. Why not? Is there any evidence of bruising or other physical trauma? "he nearly snapped his back" implies some amount of physical force.

How long did the mother wait to report this to someone?

I'm just thinking along the lines of a rape or abuse victim, you go to a doctor or ED and get medical evidence, why didn't this mother do that? She knew enough to take photos..... Alternatively, why aren't we being told that she did do this.

There is more to the story, because they seem to be naming and shaming 3 significant authority figures, but not other ones whom you would think it logical to have approached.

and as for "expertly hogtied" pfft -

The article is written as if all of these people are trying to protect Dr, whereas I'm wondering what we haven't been told as to why so many people failed to act earlier and why the AHPRA don't classify this as a severe case as evidenced by their statement "AHPRA is advised by courts if a practitioner has been arrested. However, AHPRA has the ability to take immediate action in severe cases.”  and the fact at the time that statement was given and subsequently reported in the media that they hadn't deregistered him.

[azureline**]

Since when does the media tell the whole story?

According to the mother, Dr  then commented:

“See, he doesn’t have Aspergers. If he had Aspergers, he would be screaming hysterically by now.”

The mother reports that, at first, her son was placid because he thought it was a game. When the child managed to free his hands, she says Dr became visibly angry and frustrated and sat on the child’s lower back.

At this, the boy did start screaming hysterically: “Get off me! Get off me!”

The paediatrician is said to have refused to get off the child, saying:

“I’ll get off you after you stop throwing a temper tantrum.”

“He nearly snapped his back,” the mother said.

The child was left traumatised by the incident, which allegedly exacerbated his pre-existing condition and caused him to suffer nightmares.

The mother says that when the child said he wanted to go to the bathroom, the paediatrician told him:

 “I’ll take you to the toilet. I’ll put your head down the toilet.”

[*crikey*mate*]

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@azureline** wrote:

Perhaps she didn't know she could go to the police and thought it was a medical ethics matter.

So you can still see it Crikey?

---

yes including the pictures.

C;mon hey! She knew enough to recognize that her child was being abused and cohesive enough to take photographs, but didn't think it was a matter for the police? C'mon.

[***super_nova***]

I too feel there must be more to the story; it is too weird that considering she has photos nobody would take her complaint seriously.  maybe the old doctor is going senile and losing it, but that still does not explain why nobody did anything.

[azureline**]

Not everyone thinks the same way, the mum was obviously there because her child needed to be, you know yourself that when you are under stress, you aren't always thinking clearly.

So if you can see it, why are others saying they now can't? here and elsewhere?

[*pepe]

why is everyone's first thought to take a photo these days?

my first thought would have been to get this creature off my child and to get him home ASAP, make sure he is ok and then go after this nutcase and make sure he doesn't do it to another child.