Psychiatrist who claimed to ‘cure’ homosexuality suspended for having sex with gay patients

A psychiatrist claiming to be able to ‘cure’ patients of same-sex attraction has been suspended after having sex with his patients.

Dr Melvyn Iscove, 72, was registered as a psychiatrist with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, according to Pink News.

However, he was handed a suspension this week for having sex with patients, despite being described as having a “special interest in the treatment of patients with problems related to homosexuality”.

The committee alleged that Iscove engaged in “mutual masturbation and oral sex” with two male patients during sessions, and had anal sex with one patient.

“Neither complainant described any emotional or romantic aspects of the sexual activity with Iscove, and both said that at some point, they thought that the sexual activity was part of the therapy and an attempt to cure them of homosexuality by engaging in the acts, rather than fantasising about them,” the committee wrote.

“Following the guilty hearing, his licence was immediately suspended, pending a penalty hearing that has yet to be scheduled.

Performing gay cure therapy on minors is already illegal in nine US states, as well as Switzerland, Malta, Taiwan, two Canadian provinces, and Victoria here in Australia.

An Australian man recently launched a petition calling on the government to outlaw anti-gay conversion therapy.