A Perth naturopath, whose brother is already behind bars for abusing patients, has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for sexually abusing five women after giving them false diagnoses.
Key points:
- Cabrera will have to turn four before he can be released on parole
- Your brother must be at least three and a half years old
- One victim said the abuse has robbed her of her faith in the medical profession
Rodrigo Andres Bascunan Cabrera, 44, was found guilty by a district court jury of abusing women during consultations on the successful practice in the northern suburbs he led with his brother, Mauricio.
The crimes were committed between 2013 and 2017.
The women had seen him seek help for conditions such as shoulder pain, celiac disease and lupus, and he abused them after falsely telling them that a physical examination should be done.
The brothers assaulted the women when they sought treatment at the northern suburbs clinic. (ABC News: James Carmody)
Judge Timothy Sharp said all the victims had consulted Bascunan Cabrera because they considered him a healer.
He told the 44-year-old that none of the tests he did were justified in any way and that he had broken the confidence of his victims, including some who were “desperate” for help.
Crimes for the sexual gratification of Cabrera: Judge
Judge Sharp called the crimes “shameless” and said they were committed for Bascunan Cabrera’s own sexual gratification.
The court previously learned that, despite being found guilty, Bascunan Cabrera still maintains his innocence and claims that the crimes have never been committed.
Earlier this year, his 39-year-old brother, Mauricio, was sentenced to six years in prison after being found guilty of disturbing 18 other patients.
He will have to serve four years before he can be released on parole, while Rodrigo will have to serve three and a half years before he can be released.
Mauricio Bascunan Cabrera has also been convicted of indecently assaulting patients. (ABC News: Charlotte Hamlyn)
With time running out, Rodrigo will be eligible for parole for the first time in 2025, while Mauricio will be in prison at least until 2026.
The abuse “stole” the victim’s trust in the medical profession
One of Rodrigo’s victims was in court for the conviction.
He said that although the sentence was lower than expected, she was happy to be imprisoned.
The 30-year-old woman said the case had severely affected her and affected her ability to trust medical professionals.
“I and the other girls went there looking for some kind of cure and unfortunately she took advantage of this vulnerability for her own sexual gratification, which is disgusting.”
“Now that trust is being stolen with any medical profession.”
Posted 9 hours ago 9 hours agoDue 16 June 2022 at 06:02, updated 8 hours agoDun 16 June 2022 at 06:24