'I trusted in my doctor': Longtime Ukabam patient takes stand in sexual assault trial

WARNING: Coverage of this trial contains details of sexual assault allegations.

A third former patient of Sylvester Ukabam told court Wednesday she saw and trusted the then-gastroenterologist for 13 years prior to the incident that caused her sexual assault allegation.

The complainant said she was referred to Ukabam over a digestive condition within his speciality. She also told court she has a muscle and skeleton pain disorder.

Ukabam pleaded not guilty to the seven counts of sexual assault levelled against him by five women, including those described by the two complainants that have already appeared in court.

The third complainant alleges she had an appointment with Ukabam to discuss lab results on April 24, 2017.

After around 10 to 15 minutes of discussion in Ukabam’s downtown Regina office, she said her and Ukabam moved into the examination room despite not knowing she would be examined that day and not knowing the purpose.

“I just trusted in my doctor there must’ve been something wrong,” she told court.

She later learned her lab results were clear, but at the time another doctor had raised concerns about her cervix appearing red, something she said was not brought up by her or Ukabam at the appointment.

For the examination, she said she put on a gown. Ukabam allegedly instructed her to open the front without saying why. She told court the gown was too small and she had to hold it together with her hand, feeling uncomfortable lying on the examination table.

Following the  examination, the complainant alleges Ukabam asked her to sit up, saying he needed the gown off to listen to her lungs.

He then pushed on her back where she had indicated pain before laying back down, completely exposed.

“I trusted that what he was doing, there was a reason for it,” she said.

According to the complainant Ukabam then asked if she wanted him to “check down there”. She replied she did not as she was seeing another doctor soon.

She alleges Ukabam took a chair in the room and used it to block the door handle. He then put gloves and lubrication on and said “these aren’t things I like to do” according to the complainant.

She said Ukabam proceeded to stick his finger in her vagina and pressed up, asking “does it hurt” before removing it and ending the examination.

“What are we [going to] do with you,” the complainant remembers Ukabam saying.

She said she then left the office, got in her vehicle and started crying. She recalled that she phoned a friend and said: “I think I was just sexually assaulted by my doctor”.

She returned home and began documenting her account with the friend she called, leading to her filing a statement with the Saskatchewan College of Physicians and Surgeons and police a short time later.

Prior to that day, she said Ukabam had never touched her vagina during physical procedures including a colonoscopy and rectal exam.

CROSS EXAMINATION

The defence began its cross examination with a series of questions surrounding the complainant’s medical history and her physical examinations with Ukabam prior to the alleged incident in 2017.

The defence also asked if stress was related to any of the conditions the complainant was dealing with at the time, as that was a factor she told court Ukabam had asked her about during the appointment prior to the examination.

The defence also pressed the complainant on exactly what she told Ukabam about her ongoing medical concerns at the time, communications between doctors and previous statements she provided.

Cross examination continues Wednesday afternoon.

A previous version of this story stated the third complainant alleged that Ukabam inappropriately touched her breasts during an examination. The third complainant did not make this allegation. CTV News regrets this error.

A previous version of this story stated the third complainant alleged that Ukabam inappropriately touched her breasts during an examination. The third complainant did not make this allegation. CTV News regrets this error.