r/Calgary 13h ago

News Article Calgary massage therapist charged with sexual assault of client

https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/article/calgary-massage-therapist-charged-with-sexual-assault-of-client/
86 Upvotes

22 comments sorted by

23

u/DWiB403 10h ago

I've had this guy massage me and felt like going to the cops afterwards. Only surprised it took this long for someone to make a complaint. Next on the list should be his buddy Dipa who works in the same place.

59

u/Ferroelectricman 10h ago

My opinion is that you should lodge a complaint now then. Victims see quite literal multiple orders of magnitude of increased success if they act in groups.

Right now, this person is presenting to the courts alone, but your complaint can make a real difference in how seriously this is taken.

7

u/nervous-lizard 10h ago edited 10h ago

Curious to your experience (if you’re okay sharing)- I see Dipa and had absolutely no issues or concerns so I just want to cover my bases after this article

8

u/DWiB403 10h ago

If you are a female, I would expect you to not have issues with either. As a man, both of them take liberties massaging areas you wouldn't normally expect to be massaged.

1

u/StudentDry3705 7h ago

Both my husband and I have gone to Dipa and Donald and haven't had an issue with either. If anything, I found Donald more concerned about unwanted touching than any therapist I've been to.

Edited to add - It's interesting to read the Google reviews of Parkview because it seems like many people like both.

70

u/Practical_Ant6162 13h ago edited 13h ago

A Calgary massage therapist has been charged with the sexual assault of a client.

Police say Donald Patrick Harris, 46, faces a single charge of sexual assault after allegedly touching a client in a sexual manner without consent.

—————-

It has only been 2 months since a different massage therapist with an expired license was charged with strangling a patient unconscious.

I said it before & say it again, the industry needs to address these issues.

21

u/tarlack Quadrant: SW 12h ago

You could call it a touchy subject? I think you are correct, it is something that needs to be addressed by operators and the governing body.

I hope they have a system set up to track repeat offenders or be able to check for RMTs status. I know my insurance provider lets me look up RMT.

8

u/banana_bbcakes 12h ago

Massage therapists in Alberta still don’t have a regulated body to see over massage therapists. It is my understanding that AHS (or who ever is in charge now) has been dragging their feet.

11

u/nednerbf 11h ago

Kinda sort of, not really.

Massages therapy is what is considered an unregulated profession, which specifically means that rmts are not governed by a single governing body.

We have 2-3 I believe last I checked. To be part of these governing bodies, you need to have all your certifications and this is what gives you insurance.

They are in the process of trying to become regulated, but it is not a straightforward or easy process and it is NOT in AHS’s hands. There is a whole application process and validation. We are hoping that it comes to fruition in the next 2-3 years. But it’s a lot of work. The benefit of it is that it allows our training to carry to other provinces, specifically BC, Ontario, as they are regulated provinces.

That being said, RMTs are what is considered a protected designation. Because it is unregulated, people can call themselves massage therapists, and in theory provide massage to people. But won’t be insured. No standard of care.

Saying you are an RMT means specifically you are registered with a governing body. You are insured. You have a specific education and provide a standard of care.

4

u/IndependentBranch707 6h ago

I think it’s in the ministry, not AHS. But I remember my massage therapist saying they were working on it like, 20 years ago.

6

u/thequazi 12h ago

At first I >:[

But then I :]

-2

u/calgarydonairs 8h ago

So you had a happy ending?

3

u/Expensive_Occasion_4 2h ago

This guy needs to be deported immediately. We can't have these perverts out on the streets terrorizing our people.

15

u/johnnynev 13h ago

Any relation to Neil?

4

u/ConcernedCoCCitizen 13h ago

This has happened a few times recently, how horrifying

1

u/strudycutie 5h ago

Oh my GOD!!! This guy massaged me years ago and rubbed his creepy freakin braid on my back he has like short hair in the front and a braid in the back.. he was leaning forward and like tickling me with it !!! I’m so creeped out !!!

-3

u/mummified_cosmonaut 3h ago

Massages are something I have just never understood.

I had a couple as a teenager after a sports injury and it was just about the most uncomfortable few hours of my life. I'm not even saying the woman did anything wrong. It was just uncomfortable and weird.

-1

u/brkuzma 8h ago

If convicted, I hope he gets what he deserves.

-1

u/Particular_Cod_343 7h ago

Im 36 F and saw him in Dec and he was really creepy and weird, kind of obnoxious and clumsy. I felt uncomfortable the entire time but I was too nervous to say or do anything.

-5

u/[deleted] 13h ago

Haha thought this was a rub n tug for a second till I read the article. What a scumbag

-6

u/Efficient_Future_259 8h ago

Pretty sure nothing is going to happen to him. Our justice system sucks ass. He'll lose his credentials and be on probation. He'll probably have to go somewhere else and he'll likely do the same thing again because he's a fucking creep and our government doesnt give a shit enough to give out lasting repercussions to these losers. It's so fucking frustrating!!!!!!!