Graeme Bethune was scheduled to be tried by judge and jury in April 2023. Former patient accused the former doctor of sexually assaulting her during home visits in the mid-2000s. The defense and the Crown agreed that the case could be dismissed as the Crown would not offer any evidence. Judge Peter Rosinski dismissed the charges. A hearing is scheduled for late August to lift the publication ban in connection with the sexual assault trial. The Crown has already filed its materials for that hearing. “There was an issue about whether or not these charges could be dropped pending a hearing scheduled for August 23 to lift the publication ban,” Crown attorney Emma Woodburn told Rosinski. “But both parties have researched this matter and both have agreed that the hearing to lift the publication ban can continue regardless of whether the charges are dropped or the Crown offers no evidence today,” Woodburn said. A spokesperson for the Nova Scotia Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement that the case did not pass the first part of their prosecutorial test. “There was no realistic prospect of a conviction. When that happens, the Crown has an obligation to stop the prosecution, so no evidence was offered and the charges were dismissed,” the statement said. The publication ban case will be heard by Judge Timothy Gabriel on August 23. The complainant wants the publication ban that protects her identity to be lifted.
