MUTILATED WOMEN PREPARE CLASS ACTION

Mutilated women prepare class action

March 12, 2008 - 9:32AM

Source: ABC

Reports about Graeme Reeves have prompted many alleged victims to come forward, including 'Caroline', who addressed State Parliament last month.

A public meeting on the New South Wales far south coast is today expected to hear the extent of serious misconduct allegations levelled against former doctor Graeme Reeves.

The former obstetrician and gynaecologist is being investigated over claims of sexual assault and genital mutilation while practising in Sydney and at Bega and Pambula hospitals over a 14-year period.

Mr Reeves was banned from practising obstetrics in 1997 but continued to do so on the far south coast. He went before the Medical Board over the breaches and was deregistered in 2004.
Lorraine Long, from the victims' support group, says today's meeting at Bega has been called to give more women the opportunity to come forward and make preparations for a class action for compensation.

Ms Long says she has been astounded by the number of women coming forward.

"We've had about 1,200 emails and at the moment, we have documented about 550 complaints," she said.

"The majority of the people are from the Bega Valley [but] there are a lot from the northern Sydney suburbs where the doctor once practised, so a lot of those people have made contact as well."