Spanish Oddities
Gynaecologist fined 200 Euro for telling a patient where to stick an aubergine
By h.b.
Nov 10, 2007 - 9:49 AM

A Spanish gynaecologist has been ordered to pay 200 € fine after being found guilty in a Barcelona court of degrading a patient.

It happened at a health centre in Montcada I Reixac, near Barcelona, when the doctor suggested that the patient introduce an aubergine (egg-plant) into her vagina.

The decision in the provincial court in Barcelona comes on appeal, after a court in Sabadell had found the gynaecologist not guilty, considering that the phrase used did not have the intention of humiliating or degrading the patient.
But the Barcelona court did not agree and found Enric Ripoll guilty as charged.

It seems that the gynaecologist was unable to properly examine the patient because she could not relax, and he had suggested she use an aubergine and come back later. The defence claim the phrase was used only to try to get the patient to relax and an aubergine was a common item used instead of a dildo in such cases.

The Barcelona court however considered that the phrase was ‘undoubtedly offensive and degrading’ given the fact that it was a doctor/patient relationship and the doctor had abused his position of ‘technical dominance’.

The victim will now receive 3,000 € in compensation, having claimed that she was so upset by the incident that she was off work for two weeks, and she was still having problems having sex with her partner.