An Edmonton family doctor convicted in 2018 of sexually assaulting a female co-worker five times has been suspended by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta.
Dr. Akadri Alarape, found guilty in December of unprofessional conduct by a hearing tribunal, will have his practice permit suspended for 15 months beginning Feb. 13, the CPSA said in a news release Thursday.
“Dr. Alarape has been subjected to serious consequences in the criminal proceedings, and a lengthy period of suspension with other appropriate conditions will communicate that the medical profession imposes serious sanctions for serious misconduct,” the tribunal said in a 23-page decision dated Dec. 13.
“The impact on the complainant was serious,” the hearing tribunal said. “As a direct result of Dr. Alarape’s conduct, the complainant was forced to quit her job which, in her words, she ‘loved.'”
When Alarape gets his practice permit back, he will be required to have a chaperone present for all appointments with female patients and must advise all staff at his workplace about that requirement.
He won’t be permitted to work one-on-one with a female staff member or be alone with one in an enclosed space. In addition, he will have to enter into a continuing-care agreement with the college for a period of five years.
Not a one-time ‘slip’
Alarape pleaded guilty in 2018 to one criminal charge of sexual assault against his co-worker between Nov. 1, 2016 and Jan. 28, 2017. He was sentenced to 12 months’ probation and a $100 victim surcharge.
In its decision, the tribunal noted several aggravating factors, including that Alarape assaulted his co-worker on five occasions.
“This was not a one-time ‘slip,’ but rather a series of related events culminating in one criminal conviction,” the tribunal said.
The tribunal also found Alarape exploited a “power imbalance” over his co-worker, and said the fact the woman had to quit her job was another aggravating factor.
Alarape had practised in Nigeria before moving to Australia and then to Canada.
An assessment in 2018 found him to have “a traditional and patriarchal approach to the practice of medicine from both a personality and cultural standpoint.” The assessment noted that his work in Nigeria may have created “challenges in understanding how cultural norms intersect with professional practices and boundaries.”
‘Rape myths’
But the tribunal disagreed and said Alarape had practised in Australia and Canada for 14 years before the sexual assault against his co-worker.
“Dr. Alarape is an experienced physician and he very clearly should have known that his behaviour was inappropriate and unprofessional,” the tribunal said in its decision.
Dr. Sandy Hershcovis, called as an expert witness on workplace sexual harassment, told the tribunal about “rape myths,” including blaming victims for having encouraged sexual harassment.
“[Hershcovis] indicated that the initial response from Dr. Alarape, which stated that [his co-worker] was the aggressor, was reflective of that myth,” the tribunal said in its decision.
Alarape has been ordered to pay the $81,000 cost of the CPSA investigation and hearing.