Dr Shock found guilty of sexual abuse

Aubrey Levin will be sentenced Jan 30


A Calgary psychiatrist alleged to have subjected gay soldiers and conscientious objectors to electric shock “cures” in apartheid South Africa was convicted Jan 28 of sexually abusing three male patients.

Jurors acquitted Aubrey Levin on two of the nine charges he faced, The Calgary Herald reported.

Jurors told Calgary Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Donna Shelley they were unable to come to a consensus on the other four. Shelley ordered a mistrial on those counts after the four-month trial.

The so-called “Dr Shock” was found guilty of sexually assaulting the main complainant, known as RB. The man had videotaped his last two sessions with Levin on March 3 and March 16, 2010, on a spy wristwatch video. The second video showed Levin fondling RB for nearly 15 minutes.

Outside court, Crown prosecutor Bill Wister praised RB for coming forward, despite his record of criminal convictions, mental illness, and drug and alcohol addictions. “For him to step forward and be the catalyst at stopping this abuse, as ironic as it is, the community owes him a gratitude.”

The Crown is suggesting a sentence of up to seven years for the 74-year-old. Sentencing proceedings are set to start Jan 30. Levin remains free on bail.

One juror was dismissed as the case neared its end when she told the judge a woman had offered her money. Levin’s wife, Erica, was cited for contempt and banned from the court and from going anywhere near jurors. She faces a contempt hearing March 5 and was placed under house arrest.

Defence lawyer Allan Fay told The Canadian Press that the trial has affected Levin’s wife psychologically, physically and emotionally.

“She’s been cut off from her friends. She hasn’t even attended her place of worship for three years,” Fay said. “This is a woman who’s basically at the end of her rope.”

Keep Reading

The new generation of gay Conservative sellouts

OPINION: Melissa Lantsman’s and Eric Duncan’s refusals to call out their party’s transphobia is a betrayal of the LGBTQ2S+ community

Over 300 anti-LGBTQ2S+ bills have been introduced this year. This doesn’t mean we should panic

OPINION: While it’s important to watch out for threats, not all threats are created equally. Some of these bills will die a natural death

Xtra’s top LGBTQ2S+ stories of the year

The best and brightest—even most bewildering—stories from a back catalogue brimming with insight

Elon Musk and Texas attorney general Ken Paxton are suing Media Matters. Here’s why queer and trans people should care

OPINION: When politicians and the rich leverage the power of the state to quell dissent, we all lose