A long-time Toronto psychiatrist, who believes homosexuality is a “sexual disorder” that can be overcome, has been found guilty by Ontario’s medical regulator of sexually abusing two of his male patients. Dr. Melvyn Iscove, 72, was described in a decision of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario’s discipline committee as having a “special interest in the treatment of patients with problems related to homosexuality.”He also engaged in mutual masturbation and oral sex with two male patients on different occasions during therapy sessions, and once had anal intercourse with one of them in his office, the committee found. “Neither complainant described any emotional or romantic aspects of the sexual activity with Dr. Iscove, and both said that at some point, they thought that the sexual activity was part of the therapy and an attempt to cure them of homosexuality by engaging in the acts, rather than fantasizing about them,” the five-member discipline panel wrote in a decision released this week. Theories on homosexuality being an illness have long been discredited — the World Health Organization removed it from its list of mental illnesses in 1992 — and in 2015, Ontario became the first province to ban so-called “conversion therapy” that purported to change an individual’s sexuality. As for Iscove, he denied the sexual abuse allegations, which mostly date back to the 1990s and early 2000s. His licence was immediately suspended after the guilty findings pending a penalty hearing that has yet to be scheduled. During a penalty hearing, doctors found to have had sex with a patient automatically lose their licence.“We`re both very disappointed with the result, obviously,” said Iscove’s lawyer, Alfred Kwinter. “Dr. Iscove has always denied the allegations, he continues to do so, and he`s seriously considering an appeal.”The doctor still faces a separate d ...
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