Switching subjects...
On Friday in Punta Gorda town, for the first time in memory, a doctor was criminally charged for professional misconduct. A 23 year old woman reported that Dr Desmond Arzu had sexually assaulted her during a medical examination.
We first reported on the complaint she made to medical authorities in late March. We couldn't get any response from the Director of Hospital Services, Dr Jorge Polanco. Same for the complainant: though she pleaded to authorities - radio silence - they didn't even inform her if they were investigating.
So, she made a police complaint - and that resulted in the Doctor's arrest on Friday. Courtney Menzies details that complaint - which, though graphic, has to be put out there to underscore the seriousness of the young woman's allegations. We stress the following story is not suitable for children - so, if you have them near the TV or computer, just make them step away for a few minutes.
ACP Hilberto Romero, OCED
"On Friday the 12th of May, 2023, arrested and charged Desmond Arzu, thirty-nine-years, a Belizean radiologist of a Belmopan Street address for the crime of sexual assault."
"A thorough investigation was carried out. The file was sent to the DPP and we received directives to proceed with this charge against this doctor."
When Doctor Desmond Arzu was charged on Friday, it is the first time in our records that a doctor has been criminally charged for sexual assault during an examination.
But to call it a sexual assault is actually a euphemism. What the 23 year old patient details in this letter of complaint is a sickening betrayal of all professional duty and standards.
She says that on March 26th - on the instructions of another doctor - she went for an abdominal ultrasound.
She writes, quote, "It was my first time getting an ultrasound and so I was unaware of all that it entailed. I was asked to lay down on the examining table and pull down my skirt to expose my abdomen. Dr. Arzu applied gel to my stomach and performed the procedure. He said everything looked normal with my organs.
He then said he was going to do a trans-vaginal ultrasound; this was not an examination required by (my referring doctor) so I was taken aback but trusted that he felt it necessary..."
She then writes that he required her to take off her skirt and underwear and at one point she was nude from the waist down. She says she was never offered a hospital gown, and, quote, "it was a while before he covered me with a sheet.
He inserted a probe into my vagina and completed that procedure. Dr. Arzu then inserted two fingers into my vagina, as he probed inside, he asked if I felt any pain. removed his fingers that were inside me and then took off his face mask and his glasses, and was looking directly at me trying to make eye contact, I had to turn my face away as it was very uncomfortable. Dr Arzu then re-inserted his fingers into my vagina, in and out. While doing this Dr. Arzu used his other hand and pushed it under my blouse and started massaging my right breast. At this point I realised this could not be right. I immediately felt horrified, shocked and violated, so I pushed his hands."
Writing the day after the unthinkable assault, the patient writes,
"I cannot help but think how many other unsuspecting women have been attacked by this man who so cruelly abused his status and power over me. I felt afraid, sad, and ashamed to say anything, and now I ask myself how many other women or teens has he done this to? He moved so calmly and swiftly, and with such confidence that I cannot imagine this was the first time he has betrayed his oath as a doctor..."
Well, we did speak to one mother who claims that her 16-year-old daughter endured a similar experience last October while she was undergoing an ultrasound at a private facility in Belmopan where Dr Arzu also works. She told us that after the incident, the minor's father reported it to both the Ministry of Health and the hospital, and they got the runaround. She also said that the hospital told them that they had "reprimanded" the doctor, but when her daughter went back for a CT Scan, he was still working there.
She says that up to now, her family is still waiting for justice to be served for what was done to their daughter.
As the 23 old Toledo complainant says, "My hope is that the Government of Belize with whom he is employed will address this in a manner that gives me comfort that that this will not be tolerated...I feel that I have lost my confidence and lost my voice" End quote
And indeed, she had, of all these people she copied on the mail - no formal response was given, no concrete follow up to the complaint to at least say it is being investigated.
Arzu received bail and is to re-appear in court on July 28th, for disclosure. The matter will be tried at the Supreme court. He was represented by attorney Bryan Neal.
We stress her complaint - comprise allegations and we will be reaching out to Arzu's attorney for comment.
We also reached out to Chair of the Medical and Dental Council, Doctor Atanacio Kob, but like his public sector counterpart, Dr Jorge Polanco, got no response.
