Pacific / French Polynesia

Trial of controversial doctor to begin

16:27 pm on 3 November 2021

The trial of a controversial retired doctor in French Polynesia is now expected to go ahead tomorrow.

Photo: Supplied

Jean-Paul Theron faces criminal charges after allegedly assaulting and abusing a bailiff outside his home in September while he was being issued a summons from medical authorities.

His trial was originally scheduled for last week.

The retired physician prescribed Ivermectin to dozens of Covid-19 sufferers in his care. The controversial drug is used as a treatment for parasites, and medical authorities across the world have warned against using it as a treatment for Covid-19, including New Zealand's Medsafe, and the US FDA.

French Polynesia's professional body for doctors has accused him of breaching standards by practising medicine without a permanent practice.

Following a complaint from the bailiff about the alleged assault, Dr Theron was detained, interrogated and charged.

Last week Dr Theron was absent from court for medical reasons, and his lawyers obtained a postponement of the trial. They argued they needed more time to prepare, and that assault cases usually take months to be heard, but that in the case of Dr Theron the trial had been immediate.

After his release from police custody in September, Dr Theron said he would pursue the French High Commissioner Dominique Sorain and the public prosecutor Herve Leroy for impeding him from doing his work.

He said while he was under arrest one of his patients died, and he wants the top French officials to be held accountable.

There have been several large demonstrations in Tahiti against the government's vaccination policies and in support of Dr Theron.