‘Lack of professional integrity’: Toronto doctor convicted of sexually assaulting 3 patients loses medical licence

Toronto police arrested Dr. George Polemidiotis in 2021 following reports that he sexually assaulted two of his patients. (TPS)

Warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of sexual assault

A Toronto doctor previously convicted of sexually assaulting three of his patients has officially lost his medical licence.

“These individuals came to your office expecting you to provide professional medical care in a safe environment. Instead, you exploited these medical encounters to pursue your own selfish needs,” the Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal told Dr. George Polemidiotis earlier this month.

Polemidiotis was arrested by Toronto police in 2021 and charged with nine counts of sexual assault and four counts of sexual exploitation after two women, aged 16 and 26 at the time, said they were sexually assaulted by the family doctor at a clinic in North York. According to court documents, one other patient was also sexually assaulted.

The sexual assaults took place between 2012 and 2019 and Polemidiotis was found guilty in 2023. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half-years in prison and his appeal in 2024 was dismissed.

In its ruling, the tribunal said that the criminal conviction “constitutes a guilty finding of an offence that is relevant to his (Polemidiotis’) suitability to practise.”

The tribunal said that it relied on “uncontested evidence of Dr. Polemidiotis’ sexual misconduct” from the criminal case in reaching its decision.

One of the three victims, identified as T.C. in court documents, was referred to Polemidiotis in 2012 and testified in the criminal trial that four incidents of sexual assault occurred in his examination room when the door was locked between 2016 and 2017.

In the first incident, according to the court documents, Polemidiotis positioned T.C. in front of a mirror and approached her from behind, put his arms under her arms, lifted her shirt, pulled down her bra, and grabbed her breasts.

“On the second occasion, in October 2016, T.C. re-attended the clinic attempting to see another doctor, but was directed to see the appellant (Polemidiotis) again. The appellant again stood T.C. in front of the mirror and grabbed her breasts. He also put his tongue in her ear,” the documents read. In a third incident, in January 2017, Polemidiotis unzipped his pants, held T.C.’s hand and put his erect penis in her hand.

“In the fourth incident, in September 2017, T.C. was in the examination room sitting on the examination table. The appellant entered, unzipped his pants, held her wrist, and put his erect penis in her hand. He then tried to put his penis in her vagina, but T.C. screamed and left the examination room,” the documents show.

Another victim, described as Patient A, worked with Polemidiotis and although he initially “behaved in a friendly manner,” over time his behaviour became “more intrusive and sexual.”

“Dr. Polemidiotis would approach Patient A from behind, hug her and touch her breasts. He would also press himself into Patient A saying he had an erection. On occasion, Patient A could feel his erection. Patient A tried to push him away and complained to him about his behaviour. Dr. Polemidiotis would promise to change but nonetheless persisted in his conduct,” the court documents show.

In another incident, Polemidiotis pulled down his pants to show Patient A his erection under his boxer shorts, according to the court documents. He also tried to put Patient A’s hand on his erect penis, succeeding once. Patient A decided to resign after one last interaction with Polemidiotis where he tried to hug and kiss her.

The Toronto doctor hasn’t practised medicine since 2021 in accordance with his bail conditions.

Last month, the College said “10 or 11” investigations involving Polemidiotis were disposed after he signed an undertaking not to reapply for registration in Ontario.

“Your lack of professional integrity, the criminal convictions made against you, and the sexual abuse of patients undermine the trust our society places in all physicians and will not be tolerated,” the committee said.