Former Manitoba doctor sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually abusing patients

Former family doctor Arcel Bissonnette was sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually abusing seven women during medical appointments and examinations in Ste. Anne, Manitoba.

Judge Sadie Bond of the Court of King's Bench announced the verdict on Thursday morning in Winnipeg.

Bissonnette, 64, worked as a doctor at the hospital and medical center in the small town about 40 kilometers southeast of Winnipeg.

He was tried and convicted in November 2023 for sexually abusing five patients during medical appointments between 2001 and 2017.

In February, just days before his trial on other charges was due to begin, he pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two other women in 2005 and 2011.

At a sentencing hearing in late June, the Manitoba Court of King's Bench heard victim impact statements from some of the women.

Prosecutors argued that Bissonnette should be sentenced to 18 years in prison because he held a position of trust and authority over each of the victims, which he broke when they sought medical treatment from him.

The defense asked for a nine-year sentence, citing Bissonette's age, guilty pleas and lack of a criminal record. They also argued that the risk of him reoffending was low because he had lost his medical license.

Bissonnette has not practiced medicine since November 2020, when the first charges were filed.