Sask. doctor can still be sued by patient despite being cleared of criminal charges, judge rules [Video]

Warning: Some readers may find details in this story disturbing.

A Regina doctor accused of sexually assaulting patients can still be sued in civil proceedings even though he’s been acquitted of the charges in criminal court, a Saskatoon judge has ruled.

Gastroenterologist Sylvester Ukabam went to trial in 2022 over seven counts of sexual assault stemming from incidents with five separate patients. The women said he vaginally penetrated them or performed breast exams without consent and with no explanation of the medical reasons for the procedures.

None of the accusers can be named due to a publication ban.

At trial, a medical expert testified there would be no reason for a gastroenterologist to examine a woman’s breasts or vagina in the course of their duties.

Ukabam testified he had no memory of the encounters and relied only on his notes from the examinations. He was acquitted by Court of King’s …