'Dr Shock' gay therapy Levin gets 5 years for abusing patients

05 February 2013 - 10:14 By Sapa
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Electroshock therapy
Electroshock therapy

Former SA Defence Force psychiatrist Aubrey Levin has been jailed for five years in Canada for sexually abusing his patients.

Levin, 74, was sentenced in a Calgary court last Thursday, and was earlier struck off the roll of medical practitioners, Beeld reported.

His wife Erica was charged with defeating the ends of justice, after she allegedly tried to bribe a juror in the case.

"Your patients came to you for help. Instead, you were responsible for creating more problems. This was a horrible violation of trust," Court of Queen's Bench Justice Donna Shelley told Levin during sentencing.

Levin was found guilty on three of nine charges against him.

Shelley said Levin deserved eight years in jail, but was given a reduced sentence because of his age and ill health.

Levin, who would be registered as a sex offender, was known as "Dr Shock" during the apartheid era, when he headed a programme at 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria that aimed to "cure" homosexual soldiers with shock therapy.

His Canadian offences came to light in March 2010 when the original complainant showed two videos, taken on a spy camera, which showed Levin fondling his genitals.

Levin's legal team was expected to file an appeal within two weeks.

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