Trial opens for 82-year-old dentist accused of assaulting child patients decades ago

The opening day of the trial of an 82-year-old Halifax dentist accused of slapping, grabbing and pushing child patients decades ago heard testimony from a woman who says he smacked her across the face during treatment when she was eight or nine years old.

The woman, now 46, told Halifax provincial court Thursday she had been referred to Dr. Errol Gaum for a special procedure, and that he grew agitated when she couldn't sit still. She testified he told her to "shut up" as she cried and slapped her in the face.

"I just remember an open hand on the side of my face, and it hurt," she told the court.

Gaum, whose dentistry licence was suspended in 2020 when allegations he had mistreated young patients emerged, has pleaded not guilty to assault charges involving six complainants dating to the 1980s and 1970s.

Prosecutor Stephen Anstey told Judge Elizabeth Buckle, who is hearing the case, that one of the six complainants will not be testifying at trial, and charges related to her were dismissed Thursday.

'The name has never left my head'

The identity of the woman who testified on the first day of trial, and that of other alleged victims in the case, is subject to a publication ban because they were under 18 years of age when the offences are alleged to have taken place.

The woman said her family dentist referred her to Gaum for a procedure. Her parents took her to the appointment but stayed in the waiting room. There was an assistant present for at least some of the procedure, although she could not remember any details of the woman.

She couldn't recall which side of her face was slapped. She also denied the suggestion by defence lawyer Nick Fitch that a latex dental dam, which is used to cover part of the mouth during treatment, could make a sound like a smack if it slipped off.

She testified she told her parents after they left the office about what happened, and over the years she has told friends, her husband and two other dentists.

In 2020, when allegations against Gaum began to surface publicly, she said she read a news story on social media and recognized his name. She told the court she is "100 per cent" certain he is the dentist who slapped her.

"The name has never left my head," she told the court.

Social media at play

The woman acknowledged during cross-examination by Fitch that she wrote a Facebook post about Gaum in November 2020, about a week before going to police. But she said she took down the post the same day because she wanted to avoid the growing social media "hoopla."

Social media, including a Facebook group about Gaum, could come into play at the trial. Anstey said he anticipates all the complainants will testify they went to police after seeing posts about the dentist online.

Buckle asked Fitch whether part of the defence argument will be that witnesses fabricated or created their stories, or were tainted "innocently," after seeing posts on social media. Fitch replied he will "certainly be exploring" the use of the Facebook group and messages between people.

Another factor in the case, according to a pretrial hearing last year, is that patient records from the time of the alleged offences were long ago destroyed. 

The trial continues Friday.