New restrictions for Surrey RMT charged with sexual assault
Update July 8, 2024: Bodhi Haraldsson’s lawyer tells Daily Hive he was acquitted at trial in Surrey.
The College of Massage Therapists of BC has handed down new restrictions on a Registered Massage Therapist criminally charged with sexual assault.
Gudbjartur (Bodhi) Haraldsson, an RMT at two PainPro clinics in Surrey, is now prohibited from accepting online bookings. The new restriction was handed down in an extraordinary action from the college on February 23, and posted online last week.
The College said it received a complaint from a female patient on December 14, about three weeks after a complaint was made to police.
“There was a prima facie case of allegations that, during the provision of massage therapy to the patient, Mr. Haraldsson engaged in sexual misconduct by engaging in non-therapeutic touching of sensitive areas of the Patient’s body,” the college said in its extraordinary action.
“The Inquiry Committee panel considered the allegations serious and found that there is a risk of recurrence if an interim order was not made. Therefore, the panel determined that the public must be protected by an interim order during the investigation and pending any discipline hearing.”
PainPro’s website still shows Haraldsson’s availability at the two Surrey clinics, near Surrey Memorial and North Surrey City Centre, but prompts users to phone the clinic to secure the time slot.
PainPro
Haraldsson appears to still be working as his sexual assault case makes its way through the courts. He was charged with sexual assault in December over an incident that occurred at the Surrey Memorial clinic during the course of treatment.
At the time, he was handed a ban on treating female patients which is still in effect.
Two massage therapists accused of sexual assault worked together for 13 years
PainPro North Surrey City Centre on 136A Street (Google Street View)
Earlier this year, Daily Hive broke the story that Haraldsson shared a decades-long friendship and working relationship with another BC RMT accused of sexual misconduct.
The second RMT was Leonard Krekic, who was not charged criminally but was given a 25-year ban on practicing and a fine of more than $100,000 following a discipline process through the College.
During Krekic’s discipline process, Haraldsson tried to vouch for his friend as a witness.
Haraldsson testified that finding Krekic committed sexual misconduct would be a “stain on the profession,” when he himself had a reputation and financial interest in the clinic where the alleged misconduct took place.
The college did not allow Haraldsson to be an expert witness because of his close ties to Krekic. Haraldsson had prepared a report with his opinions on how RMTs obtain consent, discuss religion with patients, and treatments that involve touching sensitive areas of a patient’s body, which he was not allowed to present.
“They exercised, studied, socialized, and prayed together,” the College said. “This is not the case of an employment relationship alone, but of a relationship that has deep and wide roots.”
The College characterized Krekic’s case as one of the most serious cases it’s come across — if not the most serious.