Sex assault charges withdrawn against Toronto dentist

Charges of sexual assault and sexual interference have been withdrawn against Toronto dentist Dr. Amir Haydarian after prosecutors said there was "no reasonable prospect of conviction" and that they had doubts about the credibility of the main complainant. 

Haydarian, a dentist at Mount Pleasant Dental Centre, was charged on June 26, 2020, with five counts of assault; one count of uttering a death threat; four counts of sexual assault; and four counts of sexual interference (a charge that applies in cases where the victim is under the age of 16). He was subsequently charged with an additional count of sexual assault on July 21, 2020. 

All of the charges have been withdrawn. 

"The allegations caused considerable damage to my client emotionally and to his reputation," Haydarian's lawyer, Joseph Neuberger, told CBC News.

"Dr. Haydarian can move forward and be able to regain some normalcy to his life and have his reputation restored." 

The criminal case against Haydarian collapsed on June 9, 2022, when the assistant Crown attorney told the Ontario Court of Justice she "had serious concerns with the credibility of … the main complainant." 

Tara Brun asked the court to withdraw the charges, saying that "these credibility issues could not be overcome and were of such significance that they, in fact, tainted the evidence in the proceedings as a whole."

The Crown made this decision following a five-day preliminary hearing in January 2022, which included testimony from three witnesses. 

Haydarian had been allowed to continue to practise by the dental regulator but with restrictions requiring that he be supervised at all times and not treat children until the college's disciplinary committee reviewed the allegations against him, listed on its website as "disgraceful, dishonourable, unprofessional or unethical conduct" and "sexual abuse of a patient."

Dentist still faces disciplinary hearing

The end of the criminal proceedings does not end the regulator's probe, and the restrictions on his practice remain in place until the disciplinary matter is resolved or dismissed.

As part of the restrictions, he can only interact with adults in the presence of an independent monitor educated in the prevention of sexual abuse of patients. The college has required that Haydarian pay for that monitor.

In 2020, the college also ordered him to attend an anger management course after the initial allegations were made against him.

In a statement, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario said that "the conditions on his practice are rigorous and protect the public."

The next hearings are expected in July and September.