TORONTO – As the 11th day of the Dr. George Doodnaught trial began Wednesday, the seventh alleged victim testified, recounting the attack that allegedly happened while she lay supine on an operating table.
Thus far in the trial, six alleged victims have recounted similar stories about being assaulted while under influence of anaesthetics during various surgeries at North York General Hospital.
Doodnaught has pleaded not guilty to all 21 charges of sexual assault.
The seventh victim, who was 55 at the time, had a knee replacement in November 2009 at the hospital.
She was worried before the surgery, she told the court Wednesday morning, but Doodnaught assured her there was nothing to worry about.
He “seemed like a nice gentleman,” she said.
Once in the operating room, she laid on a table near Doodnaught. He allegedly asked her to count backwards from ten.
“I honestly don’t remember counting backwards past nine,” she told the court.
“I feel that I’m out of a movie,” the alleged victim, who cannot be named, told the court. “I’m stressed. My heart is racing. I’m trying to move my hand. I hear soothing words saying no, no don’t do that.”
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The witness detailed feeling something “cylindrical” in her hand, but admitted during cross-examination that she never saw what it was.
The witness was able to recall little else about her surroundings during the alleged sexual assault.
Despite suggestions from Doodnaught’s lawyer Brian Greenspan, the witness was not able to recall how many other people were in the operating room and instead only remembers Doodnaught and a nurse at the beginning of the surgery and the surgeon at the end.
The alleged victim testified that she was upset and nauseous after the surgery and told her two daughters about the alleged assault.
However, the witness said, her daughters did not believe it happened – instead, suggesting it may have been an adverse reaction to drugs.
Like some other alleged victims, she didn’t report the incident to police until she saw news reports about the Doodnaught’s arrest in March 2010.
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