Oshawa doctor loses medical licence after sexual abuse of patient of 36 years

Dr. Kevin Corless had his Ontario medical licence revoked after a tribunal found he sexually abused a patient he had treated since she was 17.

Oshawa family doctor stripped of licence for decades-long abuse of patient

An Oshawa family physician has had his medical licence permanently revoked after the Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Tribunal found he sexually abused a patient he had been treating for 36 years, Toronto Sun Crime reports.

Dr. Kevin Corless first saw the patient — identified only as Patient A under a publication ban — when she was 17 years old and he had just opened his practice. Over the following decades, she came to regard him as a father figure, relying on him for help with mental health and relationship difficulties.

According to the tribunal's decision, Corless began crossing professional boundaries in 2012, when Patient A was approximately 42 years old. The misconduct continued until she stopped seeing him in the summer of 2023.

From financial ties to sexual abuse

The tribunal found Corless had engaged in a financial, social, emotional and ultimately sexual relationship with his patient. His conduct included telling her she was his best friend and that he loved her, sharing personal details and exchanging photos, lending her money, and co-signing her lease. He also visited her apartment — for which he held a key — and got into bed with her "on many occasions," according to the decision.

A forensic examination of Patient A's phone documented the extent of their communication: between August 2017 and December 2023, there were 6,475 text messages, 39 direct emails, 25 email notifications of e-transfers sent to her account in 2018, and 11 phone calls.

In July 2023, while Patient A was experiencing difficulties in her own relationship, Corless booked her a hotel room, gave her his credit card to cover the costs, and came to the room to help her settle in. "They then engaged in sexual intercourse," the tribunal's decision states.

Patient A reported Corless to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario in October 2023.

Doctor offered no substantive defence

When the college launched its investigation, Corless failed to provide any substantive responses to the allegations or to the college's direct questions, the decision notes. At the hearing, he did not contest allegations of sexual abuse, disgraceful and unprofessional conduct, or his failure to cooperate with the college's inquiry.

Under the Health Professions Act, sexual intercourse between a physician and patient constitutes sexual abuse and results in automatic revocation of the physician's licence. The tribunal also criticised Corless for the boundary violations that preceded the sexual contact.

"All physicians are expected to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with their patients," the ruling states. "Adherence to this obligation is essential because of the power imbalance and the fiduciary relationship that exists when a physician provides care and treatment to a patient."

Victim describes lasting damage

The panel drew on Patient A's victim impact statement in characterising the severity of the misconduct. "The egregious nature of Dr. Corless' misconduct, and the devastating and lasting harm that he inflicted on Patient A, is reflected in her victim impact statement," the decision reads. "She describes how she saw Dr. Corless as a father figure, and how he violated her trust. She describes the effect of that violation on her physical and mental health, including nightmares, sleep disturbance, feelings of low self-worth, social withdrawal, and a continuing mistrust of physicians."

The panel wrote that "Dr. Corless' selfish actions inflicted harm on Patient A's emotional security and self-esteem."

Financial penalties and permanent undertaking

Corless, who obtained his medical degree in Ireland, was also ordered to reimburse the college nearly $18,000 for counselling provided to Patient A and to pay $6,000 toward the costs of the hearing.

He additionally signed an undertaking never to treat patients again anywhere.

"The clear message to Dr. Corless, Patient A, the profession and the public [is] that there is zero tolerance for doctors who abuse their power and privilege by engaging in sexual abuse," the tribunal stated.

Source: Toronto Sun Crime