Trial Regarding a Psychiatrist Sexually Assaulting His Patients

A man, Dr. Charles Fisher, is on trial in Travis County for sexually assaulting up to 10 of his patients. All of the patients he assaulted were diagnosed with a mental illness. There have been three men who have testified against him, all of which were sexually assaulted by Dr. Charles Fisher when they were teenagers between 2001-2003. One man was forced to watch Dr. Fisher masturbate, while the other two were raped by him. All of them were emotional during their testimony, and now their credibility is under attack. Apparently this is not the first time their credibility has been questioned.

These men showed emotional responses during their testimony, according to the Austin American Statesman, by crying, sighing heavily, asking for a break, and getting up and leaving. One on the men said, "I can’t do any more testimony! I’m sorry!" The man was in tears as he was saying this and then left the courtroom. He returned minutes later. If he had not return, his testimony would have been asked to not be considered in the ruling.

When the men were asked why they did not initially report being assaulted, one man said, "I didn’t think anyone would believe a 16-year-old who just got out of a mental hospital." Two of the men said they thought they were targeted by Dr. Fisher, who is openly gay, because they were gay as well.

One man was describing how his mother was telling him to drop the charges. Apparently his own mother did not believe her son. She told him that he should drop it because "this man could lose his job."

This story makes me sick. I felt very angry and upset after reading this article. No only were these poor men sexually assaulted by a man who was suppose to help them, but they are also being told that people do not believe them.

I cannot imagine what these men had to live with the past 15 years. Now that they have the courage to fight the man who did this sick, terrible thing to them, they are being told that people do not believe them. Even by their own mothers! How messed up is that? No wonder they are so emotional during their testimonies. They are having to re-live everything that happened to them, while also knowing people are questioning if this even happened to them. It makes me sick. I think this says a lot about how our society sometimes views rape victims, and it is not okay. I can only hope these men get the justice that they deserve.