Despite being acquitted on dozens of sexual assault charges last week, former Ontario neurologist Jeffrey Scott Sloka will not be able to resume his medical practice. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) had revoked his certificate of registration nearly seven years ago, on April 30, 2019, after finding him guilty of professional misconduct.
Acquittal in Kitchener court
On Friday, Justice Craig Parry ruled Sloka not guilty of 48 counts of sexual assault, concluding that there was a valid medical reason for the examinations involving women's breasts, vaginas and rectums. The verdict came more than four-and-a-half years after the trial began, involving nearly 70 women who made complaints between 2010 and 2017. Initially facing over 70 charges, Crown prosecutors focused on four victims.
CPSO revocation remains in effect
Despite the acquittal, Sloka's registration status with the CPSO remains inactive. A CPSO spokesperson stated, “Effective that same date, Dr. Sloka also agreed never to apply or reapply for registration as a physician in Ontario or any other jurisdiction.” The spokesperson emphasized that the criminal matter is separate from the College's oversight and the verdict does not change his registration status. “While different proceedings may occur concurrently, criminal charges are laid by police and handled by the courts and are separate from CPSO's regulatory processes,” the spokesperson added.
Impact on survivors
The Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region called the verdict “deeply upsetting” for many survivors. The group noted that only 6% of survivors report sexual abuse to police, and only a portion of those complaints result in charges. About 10% of cases that go to trial lead to a conviction. “Sexual assault by a physician is a profound abuse of power,” the centre stated. “Patients seek care in moments of vulnerability. When that trust is violated, the harm can shape a person's relationship to healthcare for years, sometimes for life.”
Background of the case
Sloka studied medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland and became a certified neurologist in 2008. He began practicing in Kitchener in 2009. The CPSO disciplinary hearing heard complaints from four female patients who alleged that Sloka asked them to remove all clothes and inspected their breasts by touching, cupping, or squeezing them. One patient alleged that he inserted two fingers into her vagina and later a finger into her rectum without a glove. The same exams were performed multiple times, the patient alleged.
Sloka did not contest the facts presented during the hearing and did not contest that the facts constitute professional misconduct, including sexual abuse of a patient and disgraceful conduct. He did not attend the disciplinary hearing, which the panel found disrespectful. The panel wrote, “It is indeed discouraging that in the second decade of the twenty-first century, a physician such as yourself continues to show such blatant disregard and disrespect for the physical and mental well-being of their patients.”
