A therapist considered a sexual pest has returned to treating his patients.
Peter Orwell was expelled as an osteopath for serious sexual misconduct. A panel found that he had groomed a vulnerable patient for his own sexual gratification.
Now the Mail has discovered that he has returned to work as a therapist, offering “hands-on treatment”.
When he was sacked in 2015, the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC), the UK’s regulator of osteopaths, described Orwell as “a continuing risk of harm to other patients”.
She removed him from her record, saying there was “a real likelihood” he would repeat his sexually motivated misconduct.
Peter Orwell was defrocked as an osteopath in 2015 for serious sexual misconduct, but has now returned to work as a “musculoskeletal therapist” at his clinic in Plumstead, south London, as well as in patients’ own homes.
He now has a new website offering massages. Mr. Orwell no longer refers to himself as an “osteopath” but as a “musculoskeletal therapist.”
He charges £70 for a one-hour session at his clinic in Plumstead, south London, or in patients’ own homes.
Under current UK regulations, massage therapists do not need a licence. There is an accredited registry, where the public can search for a massage therapist.
But because it is voluntary, experts say only a minority sign up. Mr. Orwell, in his fifties, does not appear to be a member.
Contacted by the Mail, he declined to comment.
When he was a registered osteopath, he groomed a younger patient to encourage her to feel safe with him, before allowing her to undress completely and then touch her intimately as she lay on his treatment table, a panel found.
Orwell asked her about her sex life and suggested she use sex toys, which the professional conduct committee concluded was a “reckless” and serious breach of professional standards.
In its 2015 ruling, the GOsC concluded that Orwell had “groomed Patient A, a vulnerable patient, for his own sexual gratification” and “abused his professional position so that he could touch her intimately without protest.”
After being contacted by The Mail, Orwell changed his website, removing most of the content and replacing it with the words “coming soon” (pictured).
He added: ‘The committee was satisfied that (Mr Orwell’s) conduct as a whole fell well below the standard expected of a registered osteopath.
“The committee was satisfied that his conduct was deplorable.”
The committee concluded that Mr Orwell had committed “a serious abuse of his position of trust in relation to a vulnerable patient” and also “posed an ongoing risk of harm to other patients”.
The General Osteopathic Council announced: “Mr Orwell can no longer practice as an osteopath.”
Mr. Orwell has continued to see patients, although he no longer calls himself an osteopath, but rather a “health consultant” or a “therapist.”
He has been doing regular “musculoskeletal therapy” sessions at a clinic in Plumstead.
Their website says, “I believe in the healing power of hands-on treatment.” He promises “personalized care” and says, “My philosophy focuses on providing a safe and comfortable environment where my patients can relax and rejuvenate their mind, body and spirit.”
Home massages have become increasingly popular, but a recent investigation by BBC radio File On 4 found that dozens of women have been sexually assaulted by masseuses in their own homes.
Experts are calling on the government to introduce stricter regulation in a sector that has little oversight.
The Mail contacted Orwell by phone to ask why he was treating patients despite being warned by the GOsC that he posed a danger, but he hung up and did not respond to follow-up messages.
He later changed his website, removing most of the content and replacing it with the words “coming soon.”
The General Osteopathic Council said: “If someone who has been removed from our register practices as a different type of unregulated therapist and not as an osteopath, there is currently no further action we can take.”
‘The GOsC strongly urges all patients to only consult healthcare professionals who are registered.
“For the highest level of protection, choose a professional who is regulated.”