VCAT: Dr Christopher Lee faces tribunal after posting disgusting comments, pics

A former Box Hill doctor who said “some women deserve to be raped” and posted pictures of dead women is trying get his medical licence restored.

A doctor who posted “horrific” images of deceased women in online forums has taken his fight to get his medical licence restored to VCAT.

Dr Christopher Kawn Chen Lee, who at one time worked at Box Hill Hospital, posted graphic images described as “difficult to view”, and made misogynistic and discriminatory comments about female victims of violence, drug addicts and people with mental illness and disabilities.

Abandoning his claims online that he “will not conform to ridiculous moral standards and … expectations of what a doctor should or should not say”, Lee distanced himself from the self-proclaimed “mongrel doctor” persona he expressed online, and asserted this was not a reflection of his real life personality or views.

The tribunal heard Dr Lee posted the images and comments online a total of 51 times, over the course of January 2016, May through to December 2018 and again in January, February, March and April of 2019, the latter of these being posted while he was undergoing a hearing in a Tasmanian tribunal for earlier posts.

The Medical Board of Australia called on the tribunal to disqualify him from reapplying for six years from the date of his original suspension in June 2019.

Speaking on behalf of the board, Georgina Coghlan QC said: “The virtual world is the real world,”

“Dr Lee repeatedly posted real patient information online with accompanying offensive commentary. This is about protecting those who don’t want to be treated by a person who has expressed views of this kind,” Ms Coghlan said.

Dr Lee has undergone psychological treatment and medical tests that led to an autism spectrum diagnosis.

The board accepted the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder that Dr Lee submitted, but argued it was not directly linked to his expression of such “anti-social views and behaviour” towards vulnerable people and victims of violence.

“In requesting a further six to 12 months of suspension, Dr Lee is himself admitting that he needs further time,” Ms Coghlan said.

“We say that 12 months is not even in the ballpark for the seriousness of these offences.”

A decision is expected to be made by the tribunal at a later date.