Italian woman doctor raped by patient at out-of-hours surgery

Rome Sep 20 (IANS/AKI) A 51-year-old woman doctor was allegedly raped by a 26-year-old male patient at an out-of-hours surgery in Sicily reports said on Tuesday.

The female doctor was taken to hospital in Santa Marta di Acireale in a state of shock after the late-night attack at around 2.30 a.m. in the town of Trecastagni near Catania. A resident living opposite the out-of-hours surgery heard the woman screaming and called police who arrested her alleged rapist at the scene according to local reports.

The doctor s ordeal may have lasted for several hours after the man is believed to have smashed the surgery s phone and ripped out an emergency button to connect staff to police according to La Sicilia newspaper.

The man s employer and the owner of a local bar said he drank but had not seen him behave anti-socially. Trecastagni s Mayor said social services had obliged the man to undergo psychiatric treatment in the past.

Italian Health Minister Beatrice Lorenzin held an emergency meeting and local prosecutors opened a probe.

"What happened in Catania is horrendous " said Lorenzin vowing zero tolerance for such crimes.

"The man responsible for this offensive and inhumane act has been arrested and I hope he will receive an exemplary sentence. It s clear we cannot compromise on certain things."

--IANS/AKI
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