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Algonquin dentist Eman Shirazi was sentenced to 144 days in jail and 18 months on probation on October 10 for sexually assaulting one of his patients inside of his office. The 44-year-old dentist pleaded guilty to attempted criminal sexual assault with force in August.
Other charges were dropped in exchange for Shirazi’s guilty plea. He must serve at least 50% of his jail sentence and will be required to register as a sex offender for life.
Shirazi was accused of sexually assaulting a patient who was also a business acquaintance on January 11, 2018. According to the victim, he made sexual comments to her and groped her underneath her clothing. He also reportedly rewired her braces and left the wires long enough to cut into the backs of her cheeks.
A few days after the assault, police had the woman call Shirazi and recorded the call. In a recording that was played for the court, Shirazi can be heard apologizing “for everything” and telling the victim that “it is something that will never happen again.”
At the time of his sentencing hearing, Shirazi was still licensed to practice as a dentist and had continued to work at Water Tower Dental in Algonquin. However, the State’s Attorney’s office has notified the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation of Shirazi’s conviction.
Here are a few thoughts on the legal rights of medical professional sexual assault victims from attorney contributor and sex abuse victims attorney Guy D'Andrea:
Dentists and other medical professionals are trusted by their patients. In most cases, this trust is warranted. However, the medical field has also faced widespread reports of dentists, doctors, and other medical professionals sexually assaulting their patients. When this happens, it’s important that the victims are aware of their legal rights.
Reporting sexual assaults to law enforcement can be an important part of the healing process and helps begin the process of holding the perpetrator criminally responsible for their actions. But in many cases, patients who have been sexually assaulted by dentists may have further options for legal recourse in civil lawsuits against their dentist and possibly the facility where the assault happened.
For example, a dental facility could be considered liable if they had received previous complaints of sexual misconduct involving the perpetrator but failed to act on those complaints.
If you or a loved one is a survivor of sexual assault by a dentist or another medical professional, you can learn more about your legal rights by speaking with one of our experienced sexual assault victims lawyers in a free consultation.
https://www.nwherald.com/2019/10/10/dentist-gets-jail-time-after-patients-worst-nightmare/aaqc5wd/
https://wgntv.com/2018/01/23/suburban-dentist-faces-sexual-assault-charges/
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