Courts / Ireland / Report

Therapist demoted after being accused of letting patient see up her skirt wins €178k

Summary

In a 2024 industrial dispute, a psychological therapist, Ms AB, was demoted after a patient, Ms SU, alleged that she had deliberately allowed the patient to see up her skirt during a counselling session and told her to "take a good look." Ms SU, a survivor of child sexual abuse, claimed the therapist's position made her uncomfortable and that the therapist had not adjusted her posture. The therapist maintained the incident was an innocent accident, stating the long skirt would have made it difficult for the patient to see. The WRC adjudicator found the employer's investigation flawed and criticized the three‑year delay in reaching a decision. Ms AB was demoted to clerical officer in April 2021, and the tribunal recommended €177,618 in compensation for the loss of her position, career and reputation. The award was intended to compensate Ms AB and deter similar future disputes.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Therapist demoted after being accused of letting patient see up her skirt wins €178k. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• 23 June 2016 Incident
• April 2021 Incident
• 2022 and 2023 Other
• 2024-04-10 Publication

Why: In a recommendation on an industrial dispute published this week, a WRC adjudicator found the therapist "lost her position, her career and her professional reputation" because of a "flawed" investigation by an unidentified employer in the healthcare sector. CNI source report

Case subjects

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial

Read the original CNI report