Therapists admit inappropriate touching

Published: 12:08PM Friday April 09, 2010 Source: NZPA

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Two massage therapists have admitted breaching patients' rights by inappropriate touching.

Mark Douglas acknowledged touching a 14-year-old's groin area and a second female client's breast.

The second case involved "ayurvedic" message therapist, Shanmuganathan Paripurnananda, who admitted massaging the side of a woman's breast and putting his hand down a male client's boxer shorts and stroking his penis.

All the cases have been settled out of court, or "resolved between the parties," leaving the Human Rights Review Tribunal to make formal judgments that the patients' rights had been breached.

In Douglas' case, it was reported that compensatory and exemplary damages were initially being sought.

According to an agreed summary of facts, Douglas admitted touching the teenager's groin area during a session at his clinic, Total Body Therapy, when the girl's mother was present in May 2007.

He told them he intended to perform "delicate" massage though he did not explain his treatment or ask for consent.

Douglas acknowledged massaging the bare skin of the teenager's upper and inner thighs and applying pressure to the groin near her outer labia.

In the second incident, Douglas admitted cupping a woman's breast and touching her nipple (though he said the nipple touching was accidental) without providing adequate information or obtaining consent.

The tribunal's decision said: "There are situations when treating clients with back pain by massaging the torso would be entirely appropriate.

"However, massaging of the actual breast and touching the nipple is not considered acceptable and is not standard practice."

It noted, however, that Douglas said that touching the nipple was accidental.

In both instances, Douglas acknowledged that his technique was inappropriate for his clients' conditions and admitted breaching their rights.

In the case of Paripurnananda, he acknowledged exposing a woman's breast and massaging the side of the breast when it was not appropriate treatment for her injury and without her consent in April 2008.

The same day he massaged a male client's buttocks without consent.

He then massaged around the upper groin area before putting his hand down the man's boxer shorts and cupping his scrotum and testicles and stroking his penis, again without consent.

The tribunal's decision noted: "It is not accepted practice to massage a client's buttocks or to touch their genital area when providing ayurvedic massage."

Paripurnananda admitted various breaches of the couple's rights.

No compensation or costs were sought in either Paripurnananda's or Douglas' case.

Permanent name suppression was ordered for their various clients.

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