24 Apr 2009

Doctor who sexually assaulted children named

4:11 pm on 24 April 2009

Police believe there may be more victims of a doctor who sexaully assaulted young girls in the Coromandel and are urging them to come forward.

At the High Court in Auckland on Friday, name suppression was lifted for Ronald Vautier, who has admitted sexually assaulting three children more than 20 years ago.

Vautier was charged with indecently assaulting three girls under 12 in a small town in the Coromandel Peninsula in the late 1970s and the 1980s.

The offending took place over a period of more than a decade and court documents show the assaults sometimes took place in front of other children.

Vautier was arrested last year and admitted the charges in February.

He was due to be sentenced on Friday, however his lawyers asked for an adjournment to allow for a psychological assessment. He will now be sentenced on 19 June.

Detective Sergeant Andy King says the lifting of name supppression may encourage any other victims to come forward.

Vautier is not currently practising medicine.