Dr. Charles Nicholas Rathe during a break from his disciplinary hearing before the College of Physicians and Surgeons which took place several years ago. (QMI AGENCY PHOTO)

TORONTO - An abusive Windsor-area doctor has been stripped of his medical licence for having a sexual affair with a patient and for almost two decades of offensive behaviour towards patients and the public.

In a recent disciplinary committee decision, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario revoked the medical licence of Dr. Charles Nick Rathe of Belle River for the sexual abuse of a patient in 2005 and 2006, a road rage assault on a female driver and his profanity-laden abuse of patients and others.

“This entailed a most egregious violation of his professional obligations to

his patient. Misconduct of this nature must be sanctioned in the strongest possible terms,” the discipline committee ruled.

“The Committee was struck by the pattern of unacceptable conduct repeatedly

demonstrated by Dr. Rathe over a period of almost 20 years, despite many previous attempts by the College to sanction his misbehaviour. His misconduct has included rude, objectionable, and abusive behaviour towards his patients and their families.

The committee found that Rathe engaged in a sexual relationship with a female patient.

Rathe also lied that the 25-year-old Windsor-area single mom of two was his office manager making $350 a week and co-signed a loan so that she could buy an Hyundai. He later made the payments.

The now 42-year-old Rathe prescribed her Oxycontin and Oxycocet when she arrived in the summer of 2005 with back problems.

Sometime in the fall of 2005, their sexual relationship started. She had sex with him up to three times a week at a hotel in Windsor, or at his home or during lunch breaks until their relationship ended in June or July 2006.

When he said that he was re-uniting with his wife in 2006, but offered to maintain a relationship with her “on the side,” the woman objected.

Dr. Rathe cut her off as a patient and quit prescribing her drugs. Then she threatened to expose their affair to his wife, newspapers and the College of Physicians and Surgeons if he didn’t pay her $250,000. She tipped off the College anyway and the desperate drug addict initially kept up the blackmail threats.

In 2004, he punched a female driver in a case of road rage and was sentenced to 12 months probation, the committee also noted.

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