Former psychiatrist permanently disqualified from applying for registration for engaging in sexual relations with three vulnerable patients

10 Nov 2017

The South Australian Health Practitioners Tribunal (tribunal) has reprimanded a former psychiatrist, Mr Julian Norman Grant Kent and permanently disqualified him from applying for registration as a medical practitioner

Following an investigation, the Medical Board of Australia (the Board) filed a complaint with the tribunal alleging that Mr Kent had sexual relationships with three vulnerable patients.

Before the tribunal, Mr Kent admitted to professional misconduct by engaging in sexual relations with:

• Patient A during the period 2000 to 2005. He was the patient’s treating psychiatrist from August 1994 to January 2006. Patient A was being treated for Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). This meant patient A experienced multiple different personality states known as ‘alters’. A’s DID was a response to severe trauma from ongoing sexual, psychological and physical abuse endured as a child.
• Patient B over an 18 month period to December 2011. This took place while he was treating the patient for DID from November 2008 to December 2011.
• Patient C between 2007 and January 2012. He was the patient’s treating psychiatrist from 1991 to December 2011. Patient C was being treated for anxiety, depression and related conditions including anorexia nervosa.

The sexual intercourse with the patients took place in the consulting room, and with one patient, at other locations.

On 20 October 2017, the tribunal found Mr Kent had behaved in a way that constitutes professional misconduct and ordered that he be permanently disqualified from applying for registration as a medical practitioner and permanently prohibited him from providing any health services that use his skills and knowledge gained as a medical practitioner. He was reprimanded and ordered to pay costs of $25,000.

Mr Kent surrendered his registration in January 2012 when the Board started its investigation.
The tribunal will publish the full decision on its website.