TORONTO — Twenty-six more women have come forward alleging a doctor sexually assaulted them while they were under anesthetic, and police warned Thursday there could be more victims.
Anesthesiologist George Doodnaught was already facing three counts of sexual assault before police announced the additional 26 charges.
North York General Hospital said 25 of those new charges relate to assaults alleged to have occurred at the hospital during surgical procedures.
“We are extremely concerned that this number of people has come forward to police with allegations and we understand this is a difficult process for those patients and their families,” hospital president and CEO Bonnie Adamson said in statement.
“These allegations relate to one physician who is no longer working at the hospital. The allegations have not been proven in court.”
The Toronto man, 61, was charged in March with allegedly sexually assaulting three female patients during surgeries performed at North York General.
At the time, police released his photograph and asked other potential victims to contact them.
“Twenty six additional victims have come forward,” Toronto police Const. Tony Vella said Thursday.
“Investigators believe that there could actually be more victims in this case . . . We’re urging anyone that may have been victimized by him to come forward.”
Doodnaught was to appear in a Toronto court on Thursday.
One of the alleged assaults took place in June 1992 and the rest between 2006 and this past February, police said. It is alleged that one assault took place in September 2009 at the Rice Medicine Professional Corp. in Toronto.
None of the allegations have been proven in court, and Doodnaught has not yet had the opportunity to defend himself from the charges.
An anesthesiologist since 1981, Doodnaught had worked at North York General for 28 years.
His profile on the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario website says he graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1974.
Kathryn Clarke, a spokeswoman for the college, said Doodnaught does not have hospital privileges in Ontario.
“It’s been my understanding he hasn’t been practising” since charges were laid, Clarke said.
“We are investigating Dr. Doodnaught . . . but I can’t provide any detail about our investigation.”
However, Clarke said Doodnaught still has a licence to practise in Ontario.
“We can’t impose any restrictions ... unless a doctor has been referred to the discipline committee and that can only happen after an investigation has been completed.”
Doodnaught agreed to stop working at North York General in February after a patient complained and the police investigation was launched.
At the time of his arrest in March, Adamson said Doodnaught was a “very busy physician” and that he would have been involved in several operations a day during his 28-year career.
During an operation, a surgeon, surgical assistant, scrub nurse, circulating nurse and an anesthesiologist are usually in the room — but they can come and go.
There were no cameras in the operating rooms in the hospital.
The hospital’s chief of staff, Dr. David White, said in March it was possible for an anesthesiologist be alone with a patient.
White had also said the police investigation would also examine whether the allegations are the result of vivid dreams that some patients experience as a result of the various medications and types of anesthesia.
North York General Hospital has provided a number for patient inquires: 416-756-6271.