Dr. Richard Nanka-Bruce: Sudbury Physician Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Patients

Dr. Richard Nanka-Bruce, trained in the United Kingdom, practised family medicine in the Sudbury, Ontario area (including an office in Dowling) and was active in the community as past president of the Sudbury Multicultural/Folk Arts Association.

A First Warning: 2003

In March 2003, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) held a disciplinary hearing after three women accused Nanka-Bruce of sexual abuse. Under an agreed statement of facts, he admitted to professional misconduct — conducting internal examinations on two of the women without proper medical justification and, in another instance, moving a patient's body on the exam table without adequate explanation — while the sexual abuse allegations themselves were withdrawn. The panel reprimanded him and ordered that he could only examine female patients with an approved third party present.

Criminal Trial and Conviction

A dozen women eventually came forward to the College or police with accusations that Nanka-Bruce had sexually abused them during clinical examinations between 1974 and 2000, including masturbating them and inserting fingers into their vaginas under the guise of medical exams; some said they were as young as 15 at the time. Nanka-Bruce was tried criminally on charges arising from several of these complaints and pleaded not guilty, calling the allegations "absurd." On January 13, 2006, Ontario Superior Court Justice Ian Gordon convicted him on two counts of sexual assault and two counts of indecent assault involving four women, for incidents between November 1975 and February 1990; he was acquitted on other counts. The judge noted that in the assaults, unlike most cases sentencing judges see, there were "no mitigating factors," and that the breach of trust involved was immense.

Nanka-Bruce was sentenced to two years in a federal penitentiary, to be served at Millhaven Institution in Kingston (pending classification to a lower-security facility as a first-time offender). The Crown had sought three to four years; the defence had asked for 18 months to two years less a day served provincially. He did not appeal his criminal conviction.

Licence Revoked

Following his criminal conviction, Nanka-Bruce pleaded guilty before the CPSO to professional misconduct, allowing the College to revoke his licence on March 22, 2006 without subjecting the six victims from the criminal trial to a further disciplinary hearing. The remaining allegations from the broader group of twelve complainants were withdrawn as part of this resolution. He agreed not to apply for reinstatement for at least five years. He had already stopped practising on the day of his criminal conviction, keeping his office open only briefly to transfer patient records.

Timeline

• 1974–2000Alleged period of sexual abuse of patients during purported clinical examinations, per complaints later brought to the College and police.
• Mar 2003CPSO reprimands Nanka-Bruce after he admits to professional misconduct involving three patients; sexual abuse allegations withdrawn at that time.
• Jan 13, 2006Convicted criminally of two counts of sexual assault and two counts of indecent assault involving four women.
• Mar 2006Sentenced to two years in a federal penitentiary; CPSO revokes his licence after he pleads guilty to professional misconduct; agrees not to seek reinstatement for at least five years.