A former family doctor in Winnipeg accused two weeks ago of sexual assault has been charged with eight more counts of sexual assault, police revealed at a Friday news conference.
Dr. Amir Ravesh, 51, whose full name is Amir Houshang Mazhariravesh, was already charged with an alleged sexual assault on a patient on Oct.19.
He was arrested Nov. 2 and remains in custody.
Winnipeg police spokesperson Const. Jay Murray says police believe there may be more victims.
All the alleged assaults involve female victims aged 19 to 69 and occurred between 2013 and 2017, says Murray. Each incident happened when Ravesh was left alone with patients, says Murray.
He said police received a large number of calls following a press release about Ravesh’s first arrest.
“We take every allegation seriously,” said Murray. He said he’s hopeful the charges will encourage other victims to come forward.
Ravesh faces nine counts of sexual assault and one count of obtaining sexual services for consideration.
The 19-year-old woman who made the initial allegation said she had visited a walk-in clinic in Elmwood for stomach pain, where a doctor examined her in an inappropriate manner. The incident escalated into a "serious sexual assault," police said.
She was released after being treated in hospital.
Ravesh turned himself in to police and was released on a promise to appear in court at a future date before being arrested again Thursday.
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba told CTV News in an email last month that Ravesh is not currently practising and as such, his name has been removed from the College's Physician Profiles. The Medical Act prohibits the College from saying if one of their members is under investigation by the College.
The clinic where Ravesh worked is closed.
The accused doctor had been on the board of directors at The Manitoba College of Family Physicians.
