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AUSTRALIA-CRIME-MEDICAL
Fake gynaecologist jailed for years of assault and fraud
SYDNEY, July 6, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – A man who pretended to be a gynaecologist
and fertility specialist for a decade was labelled a “base charlatan” by a
Melbourne judge and jailed for more than nine years Friday for assault and
fraud.
Prosecutors said Raffaele Di Paolo, 61, performed treatments on 30 women
and some men, including conducting insemination procedures and removing semen
from testicles with a needle, despite having no professional qualifications.
He was convicted in April of more than 50 offences, including procuring
sexual penetration by fraud and indecent assault at Melbourne clinics between
2005 and 2015.
Judge Bill Stuart said at the sentencing hearing that Di Paolo was a “base
charlatan” who carried out a “long-term and determined fraud”.
“You exploited their vulnerability, consistently without regard for the
effect on these men and women,” Melbourne’s The Age reported Stuart as
saying.
“You encouraged false hope, wrongfully touched them and penetrated their
bodies, took large sums of their money, scarring them, some perhaps for
life.”
Stuart sentenced Di Paolo — who also reportedly fleeced his patients of
more than Aus$300,000 (US$221,800) — to nine years and six months behind
bars, with a non-parole period of six years and six months.
The prosecution had said there was no evidence Di Paolo committed the
offences for sexual gratification.
The court was told Di Paolo escaped being jailed in Italy for practising
without a licence by claiming he had Australian qualifications, The Age
reported.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1055 hrs