Complaints against psychiatrist go back more than 2 decades
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario received its first complaint about Dr. Stanley Thomas Dobrowolski in 1990. A patient alleged he asked inappropriate, sexual questions during sessions and asked her to remove her shirt and bra during a physical exam, something she believed was unnecessary.
The college received a similar complaint in 1992, but decided in both cases that his behaviour did not amount to sexual impropriety, and he was allowed to keep practising without facing a hearing.
He also worked at the University of Western Ontario's Student Health Services from 1985 to 1994 and practised privately out of an office basement in his home.
Dobrowolski faced disciplinary hearings in 1994 for allegations of sexual impropriety after being accused of engaging in sexual intercourse with a student/patient. He admitted that he had sexual intercourse with the student, who had attempted suicide and was seeking treatment.
The doctor argued that he was no longer treating her as a patient when the sexual relationship began and the relationship was consensual, though the patient felt that it was still a therapeutic relationship.
The college prosecutor argued that the complainant's "problems were not treated ... and she continued to be a suicide risk," and that Dobrowolski showed a "lack of clear boundaries" and that "his behaviour has put her squarely at risk for self harm."
But the hearing panel ruled that sexual acts took place after the psychiatrist/patient relationship ended. They did not find the boundary violations sufficiently egregious to warrant a finding of incompetence.
Dobrowolski's certificate to practise was suspended for 12 months — nine of which were suspended if he followed certain conditions. Dobrowolski resigned from the University of Western Ontario, and when he resumed practising it was out of the basement office of his London, Ont.. home.
Dobrowolski appeared before a disciplinary panel in 1999 after more complaints by university students emerged. They alleged that between 1987 and 1991, Dobrowolski touched them inappropriately and was performing inappropriate breast examinations. He was once again suspended.
Still practising from his basement in London, Dobrowolski was called to a disciplinary hearing at the CPSO again in 2004. Further allegations of inappropriate relationships with patients and questionable physical exams resulted in a six-month suspension this time.
As a result of those hearings the CPSO ruled that he was no longer allowed to see female patients. He appealed this to the Divisional Court and the parties agreed, on consent, to a new order. The court decided he would be allowed to continue to see female patients but would no longer be allowed to conduct physical exams.
In 2011, a female patient and her husband complained to the CPSO that Dobrowolski was sexually abusing her.
Over a year later, in October 2012, the college suspended him while it investigated a patient's allegations of "inappropriate and/or sexual touching of the patient, masturbation of the patient, purchasing lingerie for the patient to wear, taking inappropriate and/or sexual pictures of the patient, shaving of the patient, hugging and kissing the patient, offering to undress during the patient's appointment, and/or making remarks to the patient that were inappropriate and/or of a sexual nature."
In November 2012, London Police arrested Dobrowolski on charges of sexual assault and voyeurism. He had been photographing nude patients during physical exams under the guise of tracking moles for cancer. He was also surreptitiously videotaping some of these women while they were undressed.
In 2014, he was sentenced to four years in a federal penitentiary.
On November 30, 2015, the CPSO revoked Dobrowolski's licence.