Cardiologist found guilty of assault for kissing patient on cheek, but cleared of multiple sexual assault allegations
A 67-year-old cardiologist accused of inappropriately touching female patients has been cleared of multiple sexual assault allegations. He was still found guilty of a single assault charge, however, after he hugged one patient and kissed her on the cheek without consent.
Michael Stephen Connelly, a veteran cardiologist based out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, was first accused of sexual assault by a single patient in October 2021. The alleged incident occurred in 2012. Connelly withdrew from actively practicing cardiology when the accusation was made public.
Months later, Calgary Police issued a statement that said four other women had stepped forward with similar accusations.
“These are very sensitive, personal crimes that can leave victims feeling vulnerable and susceptible to additional trauma,” Staff Sergeant Michelle Doyle, a member of the Calgary Police Service Sexual Assault Investigative Unit, said at the time.
Now, according to an update from the Calgary Herald, all sexual assault have been acquitted or withdrawn. The judge did find Connelly guilty of assault for hugging one patient and kissing her on the cheek, saying that those actions were “clearly inappropriate.” However, it could not be proven that they occurred “in sexual circumstances.”
Connelly has not yet been sentenced.
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Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.