Dr Foad Khademi: Tribunal airs new details of longserving Gold Coast GPs sexual assault charge
New details have emerged of a sexual assault charge faced by a longserving Gold Coast GP, who had his registration suspended for about six months before winning back the ability to practise following a tribunal battle.
New details have emerged of a sexual assault charge faced by a longserving Gold Coast GP, who had his registration suspended for about six months before recently winning back the ability to practise following a tribunal battle.
Dr Foad Khademi, the sole GP at Benowa’s Ashben Medical Centre, was charged in March with one count each of sexual assault and unlawful stalking, both related to the same complainant, leading to his registration being suspended by the Health Ombudsman.
He remained suspended until October 3, when the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled in Dr Khademi’s favour in his application to overturn the suspension.
After the tribunal ruled in Dr Khademi’s favour, the prosecution discontinued the unlawful stalking charge, leaving the sexual assault charge the only allegation still faced by the GP.
On December 5, the tribunal published its reasons for ruling in Dr Khademi’s favour on October 3, with the decision shedding new light on the sexual assault allegation.
According to the tribunal, the complainant in Dr Khademi’s sexual assault charge is a woman known professionally to the doctor, who was also a sometime patient of his.
According to Dr Khademi, whose submissions were reproduced in part in the tribunal’s published decision, he had known the complainant for about four months prior to the alleged sexual assault.
The Health Ombudsman described her as a “young vulnerable female” and noted that, on the police case, the alleged sexual assault was said to have occurred “under the guise of legitimate medical care and treatment, and in the context of a significant power imbalance”.
The ombudsman, in defending its decision to slap an immediate suspension on Dr Khademi, described the charge as “suggestive of an undeterred desire... to obtain sexual gratification”.
Dr Khademi, prosecuting his argument that he posed no risk to the wider community or his clientele, told the tribunal at least half his patients were women and there was “no suggestion of any other incident involving a patient”; he had never faced charges before or been subject to disciplinary action; and the alleged sexual assault related to an “isolated [alleged] incident”.
The tribunal heard Dr Khademi had been engaged in medical practice for 38 years; had worked at Ashben Medical Centre for the past decade as its only GP, seeing about 150 patients a week; and employs a nurse, a receptionist, and his wife as office manager.
Weighing the competing positions, the tribunal found that ultimately the decision to suspend Dr Khademi’s registration was “not proportionate” to the risk, which only related to female and not male patients.
“The tribunal is of the view that, having regard to the applicant’s need to continue to work to support his family of six children, general living expenses and legal fees [which Dr Khademi submitted were approaching $150,000], a condition be imposed on the applicant requiring him to treat only male patients and not have any female employees,” it said in its decision.
“The tribunal is of the view [this] condition will sufficiently mitigate the risk posed by the applicant and the suspension of his registration is not required.”
In addition to a condition that Dr Khademi not see female patients unless via telehealth, he must also not work in the physical presence of any female practice staff, other than his wife.
Dr Khademi intends on fighting the criminal charge, the tribunal noted, as did Dr Khademi’s defence lawyer Ashkan Tai, who told this masthead in a statement, “[An] allegation has been made, nothing has been tested and nothing has been proven”.
“Dr Khademi will defend himself and assert his innocence appropriately in the courtroom,” Mr Tai said.
The sexual assault charge will next be mentioned in the Southport Magistrates Court on March 12, 2026.
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Originally published as Dr Foad Khademi: Tribunal airs new details of longserving Gold Coast GPs sexual assault charge
