Manitoba doctor Arcel Bissonnette back in court for 2nd trial on sexual assault charges

WARNING: This article contains graphic content and may affect those who have experienced​ ​​​sexual violence or know someone affected by it.

A Manitoba doctor is back in provincial court in Winnipeg to face five counts of sexual assault — four months after a previous trial on similar charges was cut short by the Crown.

Arcel Bissonnette is accused of assaulting female patients when he worked in Ste. Anne, a town southeast of Winnipeg, between 2004 and 2017.

In total, he was charged with 22 counts and has pleaded not guilty to all of them.

On Monday, a former patient told court that during a physical exam in February 2015, Bissonnette repeatedly inserted and removed his fingers from her vagina, about four times in all. He then conducted a breast exam before packing up her file and heading out the door of the exam room, the woman said.

A publication ban is in place on any information that could potentially identify the complainants.

The woman said she was surprised he was leaving so quickly and called to him because she had questions. When he turned, he was holding the file low by his hip but the woman could see he had an erection.

The woman testified the situation, including the exam, was "embarrassing, shocking and uncomfortable" but she did not go to police until she heard news reports in November 2020 about Bissonette being charged with six counts of sex assault, and the police encouraging other potential victims to come forward.

At that time, the woman said she "felt it was my duty" to go to police so the other women would not feel they were alone.

"I guess I felt betrayed in a way, too. Who are you to trust if you can't trust your doctor?" she said.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba barred Bissonnette from practising as soon as the first six charges were announced. Police laid an additional 16 counts in 2021 after more women filed reports.

A trial on the original six charges was held in January 2023 but ended before it could really begin. After a week of adjournments, the Crown entered a stay of proceedings, saying the likelihood of conviction had changed with new evidence that came to light. 

The current judge-only trial is for five counts and is scheduled to last until May 26. There were originally six but one was stayed as part of the first trial.

Crown prosecutor Renee Lagimodiere told court a total of six witnesses will be called, five of whom are former patients and one of whom is a doctor who will testify as to the proper procedures for physical exams.