At least six women have already denounced radiologist Martinho Gomes de Souza Neto to the police for sexual violations that occurred during consultations given by him at Clínica da Cidade, in Copacabana, in the south zone. He was arrested in flagrante delicto last Wednesday, the 1st. The custody hearing, this Friday, the 3rd, converted the arrest into a preventive one. He denies the accusations. The Regional Council of Medicine (Cremerj) opened an investigation “to ascertain the facts”.
At the custody hearing, Judge Rachel Assad da Cunha justified maintaining the doctor’s arrest to guarantee public order: “It is evident the need to convert prison in flagrante delicto into preventive detention of the person being held in custody as a measure to guarantee public order, above all because crimes like this compromise the safety and privacy of women who undergo daily tests in the city of Rio de Janeiro, especially since the custodian works in several clinics.”
The judge also highlighted the risk of the victim who took the radiologist to prison to be intimidated by the doctor: “It should also be noted that the victim has not yet given testimony, so that the freedom of the accused could compromise criminal instruction by threat” .
The story of abuse came to light last Wednesday, when digital influencer Cris Silva, 26, reported a case of sexual violence during a gynecological examination carried out that same day.
Neto was arrested red-handed by police officers from the 12th Civil Police Station in Copacabana. Since then, five other women have gone to the police station to give testimony and report similar crimes. The doctor was already investigated in another investigation for sexual harassment, whose investigation is being carried out in secrecy at the Police Station for Assistance to Women, in the center.
The influencer, who lives in the United States, arrived in Rio before Carnival to spend her vacation. Last Wednesday, she went to the clinic for a mammogram. According to what she told the police, the doctor convinced her to also have a gynecological exam that was scheduled for another day.
During the procedure, the doctor said he identified a cyst and asked her to stimulate herself sexually so he could visualize it.
“He said I needed to encourage myself,” he said at the police station. “I said I didn’t want to take that exam anymore and he grabbed my arm and said he was going to finish the exam. At that, someone knocked on the door and I took the opportunity to go to the bathroom and put on my clothes.”
She also narrated that the doctor touched her private parts without gloves and even put a chair against the door to lock it. When a receptionist finally entered the room, she even wrote on her cell phone “I think he abused me”, but the employee didn’t show any reaction.
Upon leaving the clinic, Cris went straight to the neighborhood police station. In a video released on her social networks, she said that she was the victim of sexual abuse in childhood and did not report the case. She then promised herself that if this happened again, she would have the strength to report it. The doctor was arrested red-handed.
On Thursday, two other women went to the police station and reported similar accusations. This Friday there were three more.
In a note released on social media, the Clínica da Cidade network said it regretted “any episode of violence against women” and that, since being informed of the case, it has given full support to the victim.
