Hospital ordered to pay R2 billion to 8000 women gynaecologist filmed

A gynaecologist used a tiny camera to take pictures and videos of his patients and now the hospital has to pay R2 billion to 8000 women.

Dr Nikita Levy was fired from the Johns Hopkins Health System after 25 years after a co-worker noticed a pen-like camera he wore around his neck in February 2013.

A police investigation discovered over 1200 videos and 140 images of patients on his computer. After this was revealed Levy committed suicide by suffocating himself with helium, according to a Buzzfeed report.

Lawyers said that thousands of women were affected even though their faces were not visible. “All of these women were brutalised by this,” said leading attorney Jonathan Schochor. He added that women reported being verbally abused and inappropriately touched by Levy.

The hospital's reputation has been damaged by what is one of the biggest payouts in America for physician sexual misconduct. “It is our hope that this settlement and findings by law enforcement that images were not shared helps those affected achieve a measure of closure,” said the hospital, adding that “one individual does not define Johns Hopkins.”