The College of Physicians and Surgeons has revoked the licence of a Toronto doctor who admitted to harassing 12 young girls over a six-month period and committing an indecent act in front of a woman in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood in 2021.
In a written decision released this week, a disciplinary panel revoked the licence of Dr. Armen Parajian, who admitted to professional misconduct after he pleaded guilty to criminal harassment in 2021.
According to an agreed statement of facts, on multiple occasions between Nov. 28, 2020 and May 18, 2021, Parajian drove his white Jeep in the area of Blantyre Park in Toronto and would slow down or stop in the vicinity of girls, ages 10 to 15.
“On each of these occasions, he drove slowly near the groups of victims who were together. On more than one occasion the accused also stopped near where the victims were located for no apparent reason,” the statement of facts read.
“On more than one occasion it appeared to the victims that he was pretending to use his phone to record or photograph them when he stopped near them.”
The tribunal wrote that the accused was “completely unknown to the victims” at the time of the incidents.
“Throughout these encounters, it appeared to the victims that the accused was following or watching them. As a result, the victims reasonably feared for their safety based on their perception of the accused’s conduct,” the agreed statement of facts continued.
The tribunal went on to say that, Parajian admitted to committing an indecent act in 2021 in the passenger seat of his Jeep while parked on the street in the Beaches.
According to the tribunal documents, he drove off after he was confronted by an adult victim who witnessed the incident and was concerned about two young girls who were in the area at the time.
“These events happened in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood. For a period of about two years before that, there had been numerous reports of indecent exposure by a man in a white Jeep in the area,” the tribunal decision read.
The tribunal said that in December 2021, Parajian pleaded guilty in the Ontario Court of Justice to the offence of criminal harassment “by repeatedly following” in connection with the 13 victims.
Fourteen other charges were withdrawn by the Crown at that time and Parajian was sentenced to three years of probation, which has now been completed.
“Dr. Parajian pleaded guilty in criminal court and admitted the misconduct here, sparing the victims from having to testify,” the tribunal wrote.
Other mitigating factors, the tribunal decision read, include showing “insight by both admitting the facts and “recognizing the seriousness of his misconduct.”
“The character letters speak strongly of Dr. Parajian’s commitment as a physician and to the fact that this conduct was an aberration. Through counselling, Dr. Parajian continues to address the issues that led to his actions,” the panel wrote.
They went on to say that revocation was “nevertheless clearly an appropriate penalty.”
“Dr. Parajian’s actions had a profound impact on the victims,” the panel said. “Those he followed were children, a particularly vulnerable group.”
The panel noted that physicians are tasked with protecting and healing the public and the “publicity around these incidents has diminished the public’s confidence.”
“Revocation will help maintain that confidence,” the panel concluded in its decision.
