Dr. Saul Lipsman via Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office
A 77-year-old doctor in Florida allegedly sexually battered a female patient under the auspices of providing medical care. Dr. Saul Lipsman of West Palm Beach was taken into custody on Friday and charged with one count of sexual assault on a victim over the age of 18, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the 61-year-old victim in late March contacted the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and filed a report claiming that the doctor had sexually battered her earlier that month while she was in Florida visiting her parents.
Per the affidavit, the victim was complaining about having a lot of pain in her foot, so her parents suggested that she go see Dr. Lipsman, who was their podiatrist.
“She said her parents raved about him telling her he was not just a podiatrist but a foot and ankle surgeon and he is also an MD. Therefore, her father brought her in to visit his office on Friday, March 11th, 2022. On that first day, Dr, Lipsman examined her and gave her an injection, which made the pain go away,” the affidavit states. “[The victim] stated her first impression of [Lipsman] was that he was ‘weird’ but because he was able to take the pain away, she agreed with her parents and thought, ‘I don’t care what this guy looks like, he is a God,'”
The next day, Lipsman allegedly called the victim and told her to come to the office again that day because he’d gotten a new cream which he said could be beneficial for her ailment. The victim agreed and said her father drove her to the office at approximately 3 p.m on Saturday, March 12. The victim allegedly noted that the building was locked and she, her father, and Lipsman were the only people inside.
Lipsman allegedly asked the victim’s father to stay in the waiting room while he performed an examination. and showed her how to use the cream. Lipsman allegedly explained that he was there alone because there was an emergency earlier in the day and he was doing paperwork.
“He advised her to lay face down on the table. He lifted up her shirt and unstrapped her bra. He began to put the cream on her shoulders and her lower back where he gave her the shot the day before. He then pulled her sweatpants down and underwear and massaged her lower back. She did not think anything of it, because it felt good at the time,” the affidavit states. “She then turned over. When she did so, her bra was up and her breasts were exposed. He then began putting the cream down her hip area and on her inner thigh close to her vaginal area. While he was doing this, he was giving her a medical explanation for her pain stating that everything in the body was connected and how her hips were not aligned.”
According to the victim, that’s when Lipsman took things even farther, without offering a medical explanation.
“According to [the victim], he then proceeded to put his fingers inside her vagina while he continued to talk. She added that at some point, he also spat on her vagina. [The victim] said she had this sick feeling and felt totally paralyzed,” the affidavit states. “She had her eyes closed and became very tense. She stated she felt she could not move. He then proceeded to move up and touched her breasts before trying to kiss her breasts and lips. This is when she reacted and told him to get off and she got off the table. She got dressed and left the room. She stated he offered to do the same thing the next day.”
When she got in the car with her father, the victim said he asked her what was wrong because she was “white as a ghost.” She said that she “immediately opened the door and threw up.” Police say the victim said she had every reason to trust Lipsman because he made her feel so much better the previous day and her parents “knew him for 20 years and loved him.”
The officer taking the victim’s statement said she was “very emotional,” and she explained that she was a teacher and often talked to her students about such situations. She said she never thought she would freeze and not know what to do and further stated that she was “traumatized from this incident and upset at herself for not reacting,” the document states.
During the investigation, detectives learned that another female victim in February 2014 reported that Lipsman had touched her inappropriately using a similar medical explanation.
“[C]omplainant who was sitting on the exam bed was told to stand up while holding the bed rail and bent forward. [Lipsman] stood behind complainant while placing his bare hand underneath her shirt and started touching her from the stomach area and onto her breast area and shoulder area. Doctor then went from her spine down to her buttocks at which time she felt something rising and hitting between her buttocks,” the report states.
“Complainant believed the doctor had an erection and became emotional while describing the event. At this time, complainant felt this behavior was strange for a foot doctor to be touching a patient all over her body without permission and question his behavior. Complainant said his response was that he was examining her for other unknown injuries she probably was not aware of then exited the room.”
Another former patient allegedly said that Lipsman “placed his private part on top of her hand” while she was lying on her stomach with her hands at her sides being examined. When she turned her hand palm-down, he “turned it back to have the palm facing up” and “again had her touch his private part.” She alleged that he did this multiple times before having her stand and bend over. He then “grabbed her by the waist and began ‘thrusting’ her,” the affidavit says.
Lipsman denied the allegations to police. He was arrested and booked in the Palm Beach County Jail on Friday and released Saturday after posting bond of $10,000.
Investigators believe there may be more victims out there and asked anyone with relevant information to contact Det. Jessica Guarducci at 561-688-4148 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS.
[image via Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office]
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