The Riga District Court in Jūrmala on Wednesday sentenced immunologist Jevgēnijs Ņikiforenko to 13 years in prison and banned him from practicing medicine for seven years after finding him guilty of sexually abusing patients, according to information obtained by the LETA news agency.
During closing arguments, the prosecutor had requested a sentence of 14 years’ imprisonment, five years of probation supervision, and a ten-year ban on working as a medical practitioner or healthcare support professional, the Prosecutor’s Office told LETA.
The court delivered its abbreviated judgment in a criminal case involving a total of seven criminal offences. The defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment, followed by five years of probation supervision. In addition, the court imposed a seven-year ban on working as a healthcare professional or healthcare support worker.
The full judgment will be prepared at a later date and may then be appealed before the Riga Regional Court.
As previously reported, the immunologist was charged with committing sexual acts intended to satisfy his sexual desires through physical contact with the victims’ bodies against their will, while exploiting their trust and using violence. He was also charged with committing non-consensual sexual acts involving vaginal penetration while abusing the trust placed in him by his patients.
Five of the doctor’s patients were recognised as specially protected victims in the criminal proceedings.
Together, they sought compensation for moral damages amounting to 14,000 euros.
The defendant denied all charges throughout the proceedings. He also contested both the victims’ claims for moral damages and the state compensation already paid to the victims. He provided testimony only during the court proceedings and continued to deny any wrongdoing.
Prior to the verdict, the court had imposed several precautionary measures on the accused, including an obligation to report any change of residence, a prohibition on leaving Latvia, and a ban on practising as an immunologist. He was also prohibited from approaching or contacting the victims in any way.
Previously, Latvian Radio, in cooperation with the Re:Baltica investigative journalism centre, reported that several women had alleged the immunologist performed procedures unrelated to his medical specialty, including examinations and manipulations more commonly associated with gynaecological practice. Some of the alleged actions, according to the women, would not normally be carried out even in a gynaecologist’s office. The patients described the doctor’s conduct as sexual exploitation.
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