Thirty more victims come forward following sexual assault charges against Calgary psychiatrist Aubrey Levin

April 8, 2010

CALGARY — More than 30 complainants have come forward to Calgary police saying they were abused by a prominent psychiatrist who is already facing a charge of sexual assault against a patient.

Officially, police will not comment on the investigation given that Aubrey Levin’s case is before the courts, but multiple sources confirmed to the Calgary Herald at least 30 other potential victims have come forward since charges were announced two weeks ago.

One of those complainants says he was a cocaine-addicted criminal with a history of being sexually abused when he met Levin at a Calgary hospital three years ago.

The courts had ordered him to undergo psychiatric counselling after he attacked a “creepy dude” who sexually assaulted him in an adult video store.

The man, 37, was happy to oblige as he was keen to clean up a life, he said. He became Levin’s patient and visited with the doctor several times a week for nearly two years.

Instead of being rehabilitated, however, he claims he was sexually assaulted by the same doctor the courts ordered him to see.

“He was supposed to help me,” the complainant told the Herald. “He got my trust and befriended me and then he (sexually assaulted) me. I was so terrified and felt like such a piece of sh*t I didn’t say anything for years.”

But that all changed when Calgary police charged the 71-year-old forensic psychiatrist on March 23 following a complaint by a 36-year-old former patient.

Provincial justice officials are also reviewing years worth of court cases in which Levin was involved. The doctor was often called upon to provide expert testimony, in addition to performing court-ordered assessments for convicted offenders awaiting sentencing.

Police say Levin, who is scheduled to appear in court Thursday to face his own charge, allegedly assaulted the victim repeatedly while the man was a patient.

On Wednesday, police officials declined to comment on details of the case.

“To maintain the integrity of this investigation as it goes forward, we’re not in a position to release any details that may compromise the case already before the courts,” spokeswoman Emma Poole said.

At the time of Levin’s arrest, however, police said the investigation was ongoing and urged anyone with “historic or current” information to come forward to the Calgary police sex crimes unit.

Levin, who was first licensed as a psychiatrist in South Africa in 1969, was released on bail the night of his arrest.

He is no longer practising as he had his licence suspended by the College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Source: Deborah Tetley, "Others tell police of abuse by Calgary psychiatrist: sources," Calgary Herald, April 8, 2010.