Former doctor convicted for rape put on house arrest

A court in São Paulo put former doctor Roger Abdelmassih on house arrest due to his health problems. Sentenced to 278 years' imprisonment for raping patients at his in vitro fertilization clinic between 1995 and 2008, he has been serving his sentence since his 2014 arrest in  Paraguay, where he had fled in 2011 with a habeas corpus granted by then-Chief Supreme Court Justice Gilmar Mendes. The former doctor's sentence was eventually reduced to 181 years by the São Paulo Court of Justice.

Following his conviction, Abselmassih, once one of Brazil's most renowned fertility experts, had his medical practice license revoked by the regulatory body.

The judge ruled that Abdelmassih should service his sentence at home until either his health condition stabilizes and allows him to return to jail or the prison is in condition to provide the required medical assistance. Health reports must be submitted regularly to the court. The judge rejected a request for humanitarian pardon.

Translated by Mayra Borges