Paramedic Removed from Profession Following Secret Abortion Drug Case
Stephen Doohan, a paramedic who was previously sentenced to more than ten years in prison, has now been officially struck off the healthcare professionals register. This decisive action follows his conviction for secretly administering an abortion drug to a pregnant woman, resulting in the termination of her pregnancy.
Details of the Criminal Offense
Doohan met the woman while on holiday in Spain during 2021, engaging in a long-distance relationship while concealing his existing marriage. After the woman discovered she was pregnant and traveled to Edinburgh to visit him, the paramedic executed a premeditated plan in March 2023. Following sexual intercourse, Doohan crushed abortion pills into a syringe and injected the substance into the woman as she lay in bed.
He later pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including sexual assault and depositing a drug with intent to cause an abortion. The High Court in Glasgow handed down a prison sentence exceeding a decade in July of last year, highlighting the severity of his actions.
Professional Misconduct and Tribunal Ruling
The Health and Care Professionals Tribunal Service panel conducted a thorough review of the case, ultimately determining that Doohan's conduct was fundamentally incompatible with the standards expected of a paramedic. In their ruling, the panel emphasized that failing to find impairment would neglect their duty to uphold proper professional behavior.
The panel stated: "A reasonable and informed member of the public would be extremely shocked and troubled if there was no finding of impairment where, using his knowledge as a paramedic, [Doohan] had planned an illegal abortion by using unauthorised access to medical information via his workplace, had then deliberately and intentionally sexually assaulted his partner to abort their unborn child, and had later attempted to persuade her to take the blame for the illegal abortion."
Court Proceedings and Victim's Experience
During the High Court trial, it was revealed that the crimes unfolded over a 48-hour period beginning on March 17 at Doohan's Edinburgh flat. Judge Lord Colbeck detailed how the victim initially believed a hard object inserted into her vagina was a sex toy, only to later discover unusual discharge and suffer stomach cramps.
The following day, after taking diazepam and falling into a deep sleep, she felt Doohan initiating sexual contact and inserting something hard from beneath the mattress. Her suspicions led her to investigate, uncovering hidden tablets. An internet search confirmed they were abortion pills, prompting her confrontation of Doohan.
Lord Colbeck noted that Doohan had rehearsed what the victim should say before they attended hospital for stomach cramps. She later visited a regional hospital with her sister to disclose the events, where she was informed she was experiencing a miscarriage.
Abuse of Professional Position
The tribunal highlighted that Doohan abused his professional role by accessing workplace software to research misoprostol, the prescription drug used to induce the illegal abortion. This misuse of medical knowledge and resources underscored the breach of trust inherent in his actions.
The panel concluded: "The criminal conviction involved premeditated and serious sexual assaults on the registrant's former partner on two occasions to abort their unborn child for which the registrant is now serving a lengthy prison sentence and for which he will be on the sexual offenders' database for the rest of his life."
This case serves as a stark reminder of the ethical responsibilities healthcare professionals must uphold, with the tribunal's decision reinforcing the zero-tolerance approach to such egregious misconduct within the paramedic profession.
