An acupuncturist who sexually assaulted a vulnerable patient was sentenced to 15 months in home confinement on Monday. Claude Kamga Defo avoids firm incarceration, because he is not a danger to the community if he is “well supervised”, believes the judge. However, he has been accumulating complaints of a sexual nature for years.
The 49-year-old Montrealer was convicted last March of having committed a sexual assault against a patient. However, he is on appeal. The Crown demanded nine months of detention, while the defense hoped for an absolution at best, and a suspended prison sentence at worst.
Note that Claude Kamga Defo must stand trial in January 2025 for another alleged sexual assault on a patient.
Claude Kamga Defo is the owner of the Center Énergie Santé Kamga in the Sud-Ouest borough of Montreal. He has been practicing as an acupuncturist and massage therapist for a decade.
In December 2021, he sexually assaulted a female patient who visited him for shoulder problems. He allowed himself to massage the patient’s breasts and touch her nipples. He then asked the victim to get on all fours. He took the opportunity to touch her genitals by making a vibration with his hand.
At trial, Claude Kamga Defo claimed to have treated the woman for fertility problems. He said he massaged it near the breasts to “release” its energy and release its energy “blockage”. The judge rejected her version.
Judge Dominique B. Joly notes as aggravating factors the abuse of trust, the vulnerability of the victim and the consequences on her.
“I feel damaged. I feel hurt that someone in a position of power did this to me and betrayed my trust. I don’t feel good in my body now,” she testified in court.
As mitigating circumstances, the judge highlights the absence of a criminal record, the less seriousness of the actions, the absence of additional violence and the fact that he is an asset to society.
Claude Kamga Defo enjoyed an “exemplary” reputation, notes the judge. He also received letters of support from 17 people. By dissecting the case law for similar crimes, the judge concluded that a prison sentence was in order. However, firm incarceration was not necessary since the offender does not represent a danger to the community and a community sentence is a deterrent and denunciation.
Claude Kamga Defo will be confined at home for the first nine months. “It’s a real 24 hours a day at home,” warned the judge. He will then be subject to a curfew for the following six months. He will then be able to work as an acupuncturist if the Order of Acupuncturists of Quebec allows him to do so, but under strict conditions.
Claude Kamga Defo is the target of several ethical complaints. He allegedly touched a patient’s genitals and massaged between her breasts between 2016 and 2015. In 2023, he allegedly touched a patient’s buttocks while applying significant pressure. He is also accused of having pulled down a patient’s underwear without her consent to massage her buttocks.
“ [Il] uses the same modus operandi, again and again performs abusive actions of a sexual nature towards his patients and still does not respect the dignity and modesty of his patients,” concluded the disciplinary council of his Order in June 2023 by limiting its practice.
Me Laurence-Fanny L’Estage represented the public prosecutor while Vincent Rose defended him (he is no longer a lawyer).