Sexual Abuse Complaints

As regulated health professionals, Registered Massage Therapists (“RMTs”) are required to always maintain professional boundaries. Sexual contact between RMTs and clients erodes the public’s trust in the profession and is strictly forbidden.

It does not matter if a client expressed consent or “agreed” to sexual contact. Any form of sexual abuse between a client and an RMT is considered professional misconduct that can result in penalties up to and including the loss of registration with the College.

The College of Massage Therapists of Ontario takes all complaints seriously and has a zero tolerance approach to sexual abuse. If you think you have been sexually abused by an RMT, or if you know about sexual abuse of a client by an RMT, you can contact the College to discuss your concerns and/or make a complaint.

What happens when you contact the College?

You will speak with a College investigator about what’s involved. The investigator has specialized training in sexual abuse investigations. You don’t have to give your name if you don’t want to. You can talk about what happened and find out about the College’s processes and what to expect. You can decide if you want to make a complaint.

If you don’t want to make a complaint, you can share your concerns about an RMT with the College.  The College will take your information and decide whether to investigate, though the College often requires the participation of the client to investigate. For more information on how we investigate, click here or feel free to speak with the College’s investigator.

What happens if you decide to make a complaint?

The investigator will ask you to describe what happened. The investigator will likely interview other witnesses if any. The investigator may obtain documents such as your massage therapy treatment records. Throughout the process, the investigator will keep you up-to-date on the status of the investigation.

We will provide the RMT with a copy of your complaint. The RMT will have a chance to respond to the complaint. The investigator will conduct interviews as necessary.

The Inquiries, Complaints and Reports Committee will review all the information gathered during the investigation and make a decision.

The Committee may decide to:

• take no action
• give advice and recommendations to the RMT on how to improve their practice
• caution the RMT on their conduct or practise
• require the RMT to complete mandatory education
• refer the complaint to the Discipline Committee for a hearing

What happens if your concerns are referred to the Discipline Committee?

• The Discipline Committee holds hearings which are open to the public. Members of the public and RMTs sit on the Committee. At the hearing, the College will have to prove its case. You may be asked to give evidence at the hearing and may be asked questions by the College’s lawyer and the RMT’s lawyer. The College’s lawyer will meet with you in advance to prepare you for the hearing.
• Your name will not be included on the notice of hearing posted on our website. In addition, the College can request a ban on publishing your name to protect your identity at the hearing.

Why should you tell the College?

• Each person will have their own reasons for telling the College.
• Having your complaint taken seriously may help you come to terms with your experience and find closure.
• Incidents of sexual abuse are often not isolated. By telling the College what happened, you could help us ensure that what happened to you does not happen to someone else.
• Filing a complaint about your experience might encourage other clients to speak up.
• The College recognizes and respects each person’s choice.

Will your information be kept confidential?

• If you decide to file a complaint, you do have to give us your name. As part of our complaints process, we provide the RMT a copy of your complaint, which includes your name, for a response. Your address and contact information will be removed.

What supports are available to me?

• The College has resources available to support you through this process. We have a confidential support person for sexual abuse complaints and funding available for therapy and counselling.
• You may also want to contact the Ontario Network of Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Treatment Centres for additional supports and services.

Information related to free legal resources may be found below:

• The Law Society of Ontario Lawyer Referral Service can provide individuals with the name of a lawyer or licensed paralegal who can provide a free consultation of up to 30 minutes to help you determine your rights and options.
• Pro Bono Ontario offers a free legal advice hotline at 1-855-255-7256 (toll-free).
• Legal Aid Ontario 1-800-668-8258 (toll-free) or at 416-979-1446 if you are calling from Toronto or the GTA.