DOCTOR TRIES TO CHEMICALLY CASTRATE GAY TEEN

An Australian doctor has been found guilty of improperly prescribing a drug, usually administered to sex offenders, to a gay teen in order to “cure him” of homosexuality.

In 2008, Dr Mark Craddock prescribed cyprostat, a drug used to manage sexual deviation by reducing a patient’s testosterone, to an 18-year-old member of his church; the ultra conservative Exclusive Brethren church.

The consultation, which lasted just ten minutes at the doctor’s home, had been arranged by another member of the church over concerns about the young man’s sexual orientation.

“I came out as gay around two years ago, at 18 years of age, and was informed by a [church] leader that ‘there’s medication you can go on for these things'”, wrote the complainant, who has not been named, in his letter.

“He recommended that I speak to Dr Craddock on the matter with a view to my being placed on medication to ‘help’ me with my ‘problem,” he explained.

The Health Care Complaints Commission also found Craddock (75) guilty of failing to refer the patient to a counsellor or psychologist, of failing to discuss the side effects of the drug and of failing to organise appropriate follow up.

Craddock admitted most of the particulars of the commission’s complaint, and agreed that he was guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct.

He was severely reprimanded by the commission and had conditions placed on his medical registration. These included that he only practice in the field of radiology and only prescribe medication in his place of practice as part of radiology treatment.