Dr. Ismail Taher takes the stand to answer to sex assault charges
An Edmonton doctor took the stand Tuesday to respond to charges that he sexually assaulted a teenaged patient while giving her an examination.
The woman, who was 19 years old at the time, claims she was assaulted by Dr. Ismail Taher when she visited the Sherwood Park Medicentre in August, 2013.
She told a judge that she went in because she thought her nose piercing and hip tattoo could be infected.
She testified Taher had her lower her pants, touched her buttock and began to massage her breasts.
Taher denies the allegations.
"I didn't touch her buttocks at all," he told a judge.
"My hands were not on her chest at all."
The Crown questioned why Taher would have the patient lie down on the examination table just to inspect her nostrils.
He responded that he thought he would be able to see the inside of her nostrils better with her lying down.
He admitted he did tell the patient that she was beautiful, but insisted it was in the context of her beauty being impacted by the tattoos and piercings.
Taher is free on bail and continues to practice medicine. He must have a chaperone present if his patient is a female under the age of 16, which is a condition imposed by the courts and the College of Physicians.
He is no longer practicing at the Sherwood Park Medicentre. He told the court he left to start his own practice.
The crown is considering calling one more witness before the trial wraps up.
