The Reality of “Indecent Offender Doctor” Returning to Medical Practice as a Pediatrician after Administrative Suspension of Medical Practice

In recent years, news reports and social networking sites have revealed many crimes committed by doctors, the most vicious of which are probably indecent and forced sexual intercourse with minors. In this society, there are many unforgivable physicians who abuse their privileges as doctors to commit vile acts with underage children.

Such doctors should be kept away from the medical industry, but some of them are now working in pediatrics again when the heat has cooled off. Mr. Shinji Suzuki (pseudonym), a general practitioner in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, reveals the current “flaw” in the medical industry.

It is unfortunate, but in recent years, sexual crimes committed by doctors have become more and more common. When a doctor commits a crime, such as prostitution, and is arrested after being reported as a victim, his or her real name, including the name of his or her organization, is reported by the media.

If such a report is made, the doctor will be dismissed immediately by his/her employer based on his/her employment contract and work rules. Subsequently, in most cases, the doctor will be prosecuted and convicted.

After a prison sentence of imprisonment, imprisonment, or a fine, the doctor will be subject to administrative sanctions related to his/her medical license. Several times a year, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) holds a meeting to decide on the administrative punishment of physicians who have committed crimes or medical errors.

There are three types of punishment: “strict caution,” “license revocation,” and “medical practice suspension (within three years). Revocation of a license or suspension of medical practice is usually for a set period of time. After that period has elapsed, the licensee is allowed to practice medicine again after a period of several years, after which the licensee must undergo re-education and training and be authorized to do so.

Based on this system, even if you are arrested and prosecuted for committing an indecent act, you can still work as a doctor at some medical institution – in fact, there is such a loophole. Here are some examples.

There was a case in which a doctor X was arrested for giving cash to several underage women and engaging in lewd acts with them.

During the one-year period of suspension, Dr. X taught medical students and earned income from stock and forex trading.

After the administrative measures were lifted, Dr. X went for employment interviews at several medical institutions, but the heat was still on and he was often turned down for even an interview. Finally, he reached an interview and was able to work at a medical institution that provided medical services almost without holidays.

There was a chronic shortage of doctors at that hospital, and they had an internal situation where they could not drop “doctors with criminal records” …….

However, not all doctors who commit indecent acts are willing to accept them, no matter how short-staffed they may be. Although he had been working under a pseudonym, he was soon discovered by the staff and patients because he was forced to use his real name in many situations in the medical field.

When the staff learned of his criminal record, they took various actions to have the indecent offender dismissed, such as preventing him from treating female patients and requesting the director to fire him. As a result, he became uncomfortable and resigned after less than a year.

He has been working at another medical facility ever since, but he is still scared that his past cases will be exposed at any moment.

I have no intention to disagree with those who say, “It’s fine if the person has a criminal record but has reformed,” or “Society should have the tolerance to forgive those who have reformed. However, what I am trying to say here is that “in the case of doctors, the path to rehabilitation may be too loose.

For example, in the case of teachers. In recent years, obscenity cases by teachers have been increasing. At this point, it appears that even those with a conviction for obscenity can reenter the teaching profession, but in order to prevent recidivism, we are taking measures such as inquiring into the sexual offense history database that the government is considering establishing and keeping them out of the front lines of education.

Unlike other minor crimes, in the case of sex crimes that affect boys and girls for the rest of their lives, should a certain level of strictness be required in reemployment?

Nevertheless, in the case of physicians, it is relatively easy for them to be reemployed once the administrative punishment is completed, even if they are caught for a sex crime. I think the problem is that there is no law or system that restricts or prohibits doctors from working again.

For parents of children, especially girls, it must be hair-raising just to imagine …… if a doctor who treated their child had a criminal record for indecent assault.

Of course, such a situation would be very rare. However, with all the loopholes in the current situation, such a situation could happen. In order to avoid such cases, we need to have a serious discussion about the return of doctors who have committed indecent acts to the medical field.