Grub Melbourne gynaecologist Dr Rudolph ‘Rudy’ Lopes reprimanded for serious sexual misconduct

A Melbourne gynaecologist told a Canadian patient her vagina looked “Australian” and offered a colleague “mate’s rates” for a procedure.

Dr Rudolph ‘Rudy’ Lopes fronted VCAT after he conceded to serious sexual misconduct. Twitter.

A grubby gynaecologist has been reprimanded over serious sexual misconduct including telling a Canadian patient her vagina looked like an “Australian one”.

Dr Rudolph ‘Rudy’ Lopes’ “creepy” conduct towards multiple women occurred while he practised in Melbourne during a six-year period.

Lopes told a Canadian patient he “didn’t even need to buy you dinner first” before performing a digital vaginal examination.

The sleaze doc also remarked her vagina “looked good” and “I have seen a lot”, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal was told.

Lopes initially denied he “behaved inappropriately” to a colleague when he hugged her, lifted up her shirt, rubbed her bare skin on her back and looked down her shirt.

Lopes also barraged his colleague with lewd texts including offering her “mate’s rates” for a pap smear.

Lopes, who was suspended in 2018, acknowledged “times had changed” and “you couldn’t say those sort of things anymore.”

Lopes admitted he had “jovial discussion and banter” with his colleague but disputed his behaviour was “unprofessional enough” to warrant a cancellation of his medical licence.

The dirty doc claimed the colleague’s “responses” to his conduct led him to believe she had given him a “greenlight”.

The Medical Board of Australia disagreed, submitting the conduct was “degrading”.

“Such conduct is so out of step with community standards that it’s inconsistent with him being able to remain as a medical practitioner,” board counsel Sarah Keating said.

Lopes, who claimed he has changed his conduct after undertaking psychotherapy sessions, accepted “jokes” can be “interpreted as creepy by some patients”.

The board, which is seeking Lopes’ registration be cancelled, submitted it’s only been since his removal of right to practice that he has engaged with the need to reform his conduct.

“The risk to the public moving forward and risk to reputation of the profession is the main issue …,” Ms Keating said.

“(It was) breathtakingly inappropriate for a doctor to engage in (this conduct) in a workplace setting.

“His insight to that conduct cannot be considered advanced as he only agreed to it in April this year.”

Lopes, who practised as a clinical obstetrician and gynaecologist before his 2018 suspension for misconduct prompted a transition into public health, submitted character references in a bid to return to practice work.

It was submitted Lopes’ references affirmed he was “technically competent” and “well liked”.

Sebastian Reid, for Lopes, said his client underwent psychotherapy and the steps he’s taken to address the issues were “sufficient”.

“Cancellation would serve no function given he can immediately reapply,” Mr Reid said.

“The risk to the public has been averted due to his treatment … he’s confronted himself in that therapy … in a profound way.

“A suitably tailored return to work with some form of supervision.”

The tribunal heard Lopes recently completed a Masters in Public Health at the University of Melbourne, specialising in health program evaluation and health policy.

Lopes was then awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council scholarship to undertake a PhD.

Ms Keating told the tribunal that were they to decide that Lopes’ licence should not be cancelled, the board would continue his suspension for a further six months to properly denounce his conduct.

The tribunal found Dr Lopes committed professional misconduct but stopped short of cancelling his licence.

“We conclude here that Dr Lopes is now a suitable person to practise, subject to appropriate conditions, therefore we will not order that his registration be cancelled …,” the tribunal found.

“We see no basis for the imposition of such a suspension (proposed by the board), for the reasons set out above.”

Lopes, who is also an Australian Evaluation Society and Public Health Association of Australia member, will learn if any conditions will be placed on his registration at a later date.

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