OttawaA judge has approved a settlement between a former Ottawa doctor convicted of sexual assault and voyeurism and his former patients at a University of Ottawa health clinic.Nadon pleaded guilty to 14 sexual assault and voyeurism charges in 2018CBC News · Posted: Sep 08, 2025 7:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoVincent Nadon pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting and illicitly recording patients while practising medicine at a University of Ottawa clinic. A class-action lawsuit between him and his victims has now been settled, with over $13 million of a total $21-million settlement slated to go to victims. (Laurie Foster-MacLeod/CBC)A judge has approved a settlement between a former Ottawa doctor convicted of sexual assault and voyeurism and his former patients at a University of Ottawa health clinic.Over half of the $21-million compensation will now be disbursed among the members of the class-action lawsuit, including any patient of the University of Ottawa Health Services who was recorded without their consent or sexually assaulted by Vincent Nadon.Nadon’s victims are able to put forward their claims early next year, with payments expected to go out that fall.He was arrested in January 2018 for secretly recording dozens of his patients over nearly 30 years. He was practising medicine at the university’s family health clinic on Rideau Street when the assaults took place.The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario stripped Nadon of his medical licence in 2020, more than a year after he pleaded guilty to 14 sexual assault and voyeurism charges.He was sentenced to eight years in prison, less one year for time already served, but was granted full parole in 2021. The class-action lawsuit against Nadon was certified that same year. Just over $13 million of the total settlement amount will be dispersed among class-action members, Sean Brown said outside court on Monday. Brown is the lead lawyer for Flaherty McCarthy LLP, the firm representing the plaintiffs.The total number of eligible people could end up as high as 200. Sean Brown, the lead lawyer for the firm representing plaintiffs, says victims have been heard and urges them to focus on the benefits of the settlement. (Felix Desroches/CBC)”You’ve been heard so far,” Brown said to victims. “You will be heard in the claims process. Do not focus on the imperfect aspects of the settlements, but on the fact that ultimately responsibility has been taken by the University of Ottawa and the Health Services Clinic and Nadon to bring this matter ultimately to a close, hopefully satisfactory to most, but a close.”A little more than $6 million is being set aside for the class action lawyers, while $125,000 will go to Ontario’s Ministry of Health.Two physicians will be leading a trauma assistance team, which will also provide the class action funds to plaintiffs.Brown said there were a number of challenges involved in the case, including the fact that some of the offences date back to 1990, plus finding an insurance company willing to pay out the amount. Some former patients disparaged over treatmentFewer than 10 people gave victim impact statements on Monday. One woman, a patient of Nadon’s for 18 years, said she spent time after hours in his office because she believed he was helping her while she was going through a divorce.She was ultimately diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder because of her interactions with him.Another woman spoke about learning her naked body had been recorded multiple times, while another spoke about Nadon doing her Pap tests. They lasted significantly longer than was normal, she said, but she had no idea at the time because he was the only doctor she’d gone to for them. Another person said she was called into his office to do a Pap test every three months, without knowing the typical rate was once a year at the time.Nadon issues apology to victimsNadon himself was not in court on Monday. Tina Hill, his lawyer, said outside court that it was important for the class members that the matter reached a conclusion. “They’re able to focus on looking forward instead of having to revisit what’s happened to them in the past,” she said of the victims. Hill gave journalists an apology letter she said was written by Nadon. It was not read out in court. In it, Nadon says he’s writing “with deep remorse and profound humility” and offers his “sincerest apologies.””I am not seeking to erase the past or seek your forgiveness, nor am I trying to justify my behaviour,” he said.”By violating your privacy, security and dignity, I betrayed your trust and disregarded your fundamental right to respect,” he added. The University of Ottawa argued in court filings that although it had contracted the clinic to provide health care for its students and staff, it had no role in the day to day operation of its medical staff, denying that it was “contractually or vicariously liable” for Nadon’s actions.University of Ottawa Health Services, a separate corporate entity that employed Nadon, argued in its statement of defence that the disgraced physician was an “independent contractor” and claimed it was not aware of any complaints against him until 2018.As part of the settlement, the university and its clinic admit no wrongdoing.With files from Kimberley Molina
Multi-million-dollar settlement approved for victims of Ottawa doctor Vincent Nadon
