A Zurich-based gastroenterologist is at the centre of a widening criminal investigation in Switzerland and Austria after allegations that he secretly filmed, sedated and sexually abused female patients over a period of years.
The 65-year-old Austrian has been in pretrial detention in Zurich since early July, while prosecutors in both countries continue to examine the case. The accused denies nothing in the public record cited, but he is legally presumed innocent until a final verdict is reached.
According to reports, Swiss investigators found indications of possible offences abroad and passed information to Austrian authorities, who then opened their own criminal inquiry.
Zurich-Based Gastroenterologist May Have Sedated Patients Before Abusing Them
The investigation reportedly began when a patient noticed a concealed smartphone camera in the examination room, with the device apparently pointed toward the area where examinations took place. That discovery led to a search of the doctor’s practice and the seizure of digital material, including photos and videos of naked women, according to reports in Swiss and Austrian media.
Swiss prosecutors say they are investigating the doctor on suspicion of several offences, including sexual acts against a person unable to resist and unlawful recording of a private sphere using imaging devices. The Zurich public prosecutor’s office has not disclosed the grounds for detention, citing the ongoing investigation.
The reports describe a pattern in which the doctor allegedly called women in for examinations when regular clinic staff had already left, allowing him to see them alone. Some allegations say he may have sedated patients before abusing them, and that the offences were then recorded without consent.
Authorities have not publicly confirmed the full number of alleged victims in Switzerland, but media reports say the seized material shows numerous unidentified women and that the recordings may stretch back as far as 2012. The suspect is also said to have used hidden cameras placed around the examination room.
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Austrian Investigation Expands With 8 Alleged Victims
The case has also triggered an independent investigation in Graz, where the doctor previously worked. According to reports, Swiss investigators found indications of possible offences abroad and passed information to Austrian authorities, who then opened their own criminal inquiry.
Austrian media say investigators there are now looking at at least eight alleged victims, including at least one minor. Some reports suggest the suspicious conduct may have begun years earlier than first thought, again raising the possibility that many more women have yet to be identified.
For now, the doctor remains in Zurich’s pretrial detention while prosecutors continue to collect and analyse evidence. Swiss authorities have made clear that they are not releasing further details because the proceedings are still active.
The accused denies nothing in the public record cited here, but he is legally presumed innocent until a final verdict is reached. The case is likely to remain under intense scrutiny because it combines alleged sexual abuse, abuse of medical authority and cross-border investigative cooperation.
If the allegations are confirmed, the matter would add to broader concerns about how hidden recordings and clinical access can be used to facilitate abuse.
The cross-border dimension also makes this more than a local scandal, since investigators in Switzerland and Austria are now working from the same chain of evidence. That means the eventual outcome could have implications not only for criminal law, but also for medical licensing, patient protection and the handling of similar complaints in the future.
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