A NSW tribunal has found Sydney chiropractor Chris Vorillas violated professional boundaries by touching a female patient’s breast and genital area while they were receiving treatment.
The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) said the actions were “not for sexual gratification” and “not intentional.”
Vorillas has strongly disputed all claims of inappropriate touching.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, the woman visited Vorillas’ CBD clinic multiple times between October 17, 2019 and November 5, 2020, seeking treatment for neck and back problems. She filed a complaint with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) the day following her last session.
In her initial complaint to AHPRA, the woman said Vorillas massaged her inner thigh before moving up the leg and inside her shorts. She also claimed he touched her right breast.
The NACT concluded the conduct had breached the Chiropractic Board of Australia’s code of conduct by “fail[ing] to maintain professional boundaries so [the patient] was not exploited physically or sexually.”
Vorillas’ registration was restricted on November 19 last year, including a ban on touching any female patient’s upper breast, lower pelvis, or upper thigh.
The Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) is presently attempting to completely cancel the registration of Vorillas, who has directed his practice, Kinetic Healthcare, since 2014 in Sydney’s CBD and in Narellan in its southwest outskirts.
The HCCC also seeks to bar Vorillas from seeking for a review of the NACT judgment or delivering health services for two years.
Following the conclusion of stage two proceedings next year, a decision will be taken.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
