Alberta pediatrician found not guilty of sexually assaulting 9-year-old girl

A Lethbridge judge has acquitted an Alberta pediatrician of sexuallyassaulting the nine-year-old girl daughter of a family friend.

Dr. Ramneek Kumar was practising in St. Albert at the time of the alleged incidents in 2015.

At the time of the alleged touching, the child's family and the Kumars were vacationing together in Waterton Lakes National Park.

A publication ban protects the identity of the complainant.

Charges were laid in 2019.

• Judge reserves decision in trial for Alberta pediatrician charged with sexual assault

During the trial, the girl testified Kumar touched her shoulders and chest area.

Defence lawyer Alain Hepner suggested there was bad business blood between Kumar and the complainant's father.

In fact, there are lawsuits and professional complaints filedby both men against each other.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta initially suspended Kumar's licence to practise but a Court of Queen's Bench judge overturned that decision, allowing the doctor to resume seeing patients as long as there wasa chaperone present.

Kumar is charged with another count of sexual assault involving a nurse. That trial takes place next year.