Spanish police have arrested a plastic surgeon accused of sexually assaulting a sedated patient during a breast operation in a rented operating theatre in Murcia. The incident is reported to have taken place on four December at the IMED Virgen de la Fuensanta hospital, where the surgeon had hired the facilities for the procedure.

Two nurses who were present in the theatre are said to have witnessed suspicious behaviour and recorded a video, which was later handed to hospital management. The hospital subsequently alerted the National Police, prompting the launch of an investigation. The victim later filed a formal complaint but was unable to recall the events due to the effects of anaesthesia.

Officers from the Family and Women’s Unit located and arrested the surgeon on nine December in Alicante, where he runs his clinic. A judge from Court Number Four in Molina de Segura has ordered his immediate remand in custody without bail on suspicion of sexual assault. The victim has undergone a forensic examination as part of the inquiry.

IMED has stated that the surgeon is not part of its staff and had only rented its facilities, a practice he is understood to have carried out in other centres. The hospital is considering joining the case as an injured party. The surgeon, who promotes his work on social media, claims to have fifteen years’ experience and has operated in Murcia, the Valencia region and Madrid.