A Cape Town psychiatrist faces a string of charges that include having sex with his patient, socialite Sylvia Ireland.
|||Cape Town socialite Sylvia Ireland says lack of trust of her husband, financial insecurity and being treated as a “trophy wife” drove her into the arms of a southern suburbs psychiatrist.
Testifying at the Health Professions Council of SA professional conduct inquiry on Wednesday, Ireland said not only did she trust Dr Raymond “Ray” Berard, but she thought he was a friend she could confide in.
Berard, who is still practising in Newlands, faces a string of charges that include entering into an intimate relationship with Ireland, widow of the late Stuart Ireland, a perfume distributor and Berard’s former business partner.
Stuart died in the middle of their divorce battle at the end of 2009.
Berard pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges including:
*Entering into an intimate physical relationship with his patient.
* Having sexual intercourse with her more than once.
* Failing to refer her to another psychiatrist or to cease the doctor-patient relationship with her when the intimate sexual relationship developed.
* Misusing the position of trust and confidence towards his patient.
* Acting in a way likely to bring his profession into disrepute.
Berard, who was the couple’s marriage counsellor, is also alleged to have sent constant erotic messages to Sylvia, used his position to prescribe her drugs and blackmailed her into having sex with him while controlling her marriage.
Ireland told the inquiry she was referred to Berard by her GP at the end of 2005.
Asked to describe her therapy sessions with Berard, which took place between November 2005 and February 2008, Ireland said his rooms were “very pleasant”.
The two sat and faced each other while having their conversations.
Initially, the sessions were on Tuesday afternoons, but they increased to twice a week after Stuart insisted on being present.
Because Sylvia was not comfortable discussing some of her personal issues in front of her husband, she had Tuesday sessions with Berard only, and joint sessions with Stuart on Thursdays.
It was in these Tuesday sessions that their sexual relationship started, and lasted for more than two years.
“I trusted him… but I made a mistake. I thought he was my friend,” she told the inquiry.
Berard later diagnosed her as bipolar and having a personality disorder.
The sexual relationship blossomed and the sex with Berard happened “practically every day”, sometimes in Berard’s rooms or at her Claremont home.
Berard would later find excuses to go to her home, and would sometimes drive there or pop in during late-night jogs.
Ireland told the inquiry she ended the sexual relationship in February 2008 after she met a “normal” person she could “have a normal life with”.
She said she then confessed to her husband and showed him the “pornographic SMSes and MMSes” from Berard.
Her husband had said he still wanted to be with her and put his arms around her, which angered her.
Ireland said she saw the “uncaring” side of Berard after she ended their sexual relationship.
She described her psychological state during the relationship as “very bad”.
“I had no self-control… I was very angry and all I wanted was a normal life,” she said, adding that she attempted suicide twice over that period.
sipokazi.fokazi@inl.co.za - Cape Argus
