Qld Health suggested rape complainant go on leave instead of standing down accused doctor

Queensland Health suggested a rape complainant go on leave from the hospital where she worked instead of standing down the doctor accused of assaulting her, despite multiple complaints against the man and an active police investigation.

Metro North did not responded to specific allegations made about the doctor. File picture

Queensland Health suggested a rape complainant go on leave from the hospital where she worked instead of standing down the doctor accused of assaulting her, despite complaints against the man by multiple women and an active police investigation.

The senior doctor is no longer employed by the health service but was the subject of serious complaints by female nurses, leading to an internal investigation, as well as a police investigation.

The Courier-Mail understands two nurses made complaints to a Brisbane hospital that they were raped by the man, with one of those women also making a report to police in early 2023.

The hospital was also made aware that the doctor was allegedly seen to have pressed against a nurse in the workplace and simulated a sex act.

And another nurse made a complaint that she was harassed by the man online.

Despite this, the doctor was not stood down and continued to work at the hospital for months.

The Queensland Police Service has confirmed an investigation is ongoing.

The woman’s mother told The Courier-Mail the doctor was not stood down and that her daughter had to continue working in the same building as the man - as did the other complainants.

She said instead, her daughter was told she could take leave - an offer she declined.

The nurse has since reported to QPS allegations that the doctor stalked her during that time, including an incident where she alleged he followed her home.

The woman said her daughter has now been told to stay home from work on full pay while the hospital looks into claims some staff members were reporting back to the man.

She said her daughter has been told the work environment is “not safe” for her to return.

“I thought something was wrong the morning I picked her up (from the train station) and brought her home,” the woman’s mother said.

“As a mother, you sort of know something’s not right. You just know it.

“Her lip was so swollen when I picked her up … (she told me) she had an allergic reaction to caraway seeds. Her lip was actually touching her nose (it was so swollen). “There was blood and she was saying it was so swollen it was torn.

“That night I saw marks on her back, bite marks.”

The mother said that night her daughter told her what had happened.

“I said, honey, that is rape,” she said.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman. Picture: Dan Peled/Getty Images

The woman described her daughter as “fractured” from the ordeal.

“She needs to get back to the job that she loves,” she said.

“She loved her nursing. And now she’s a shell of the girl she was.

“At the moment she’s just in limbo really … and every day brings different emotions.

“I said to her at the beginning of December, next year will be a better year. This can’t continue for another 12 months.”

The woman said she wrote a letter to Health Minister Shannon Fentiman asking for her help.

“I said to Shannon Fentiman, I will not be burying my daughter in 2024. That’s what I put in the letter. This is serious.”

Metro North Health did not respond to specific questions about the allegations made against the doctor, nor did it respond to specific questions around the treatment of the nurse.

Instead, in a generic response, it said the service took safety and wellbeing of its staff seriously.

“Sexual harassment and sexual assault has no place in Metro North Health,” a spokesperson said.

“Any staff complaint of this nature is immediately investigated, and the appropriate action will always be taken.

“The Chief Executive, Metro North Health has reinforced her position that any staff member charged with sexual assault will be removed from the workplace immediately.”

The spokesman said Metro North Health was unable to comment on police or specific HR matters “due to legal requirements”.

It is understood the Minister’s office has reached out to the nurse’s mother.

Opposition leader David Crisafulli said the alleged rape scandal was “deeply concerning” and part of a long-running “deterioration of culture” at Queensland Health.

“I want people who work in our health system to know that they’re safe and that they’re listened to and clearly that’s not the case here,” he said.

“When I speak to people at the frontline, they tell me about a deterioration of culture in Queensland Health year on year for nearly a decade.

“Despite the many different faces that have headed it, the people at the frontline don’t feel like they’re being listened to, valued and respected and that has to change.”

Originally published as Qld Health suggested rape complainant go on leave instead of standing down accused doctor