Johannesburg - Former South African military psychiatrist Dr Aubrey Levin, who faces 10 charges of sexually abusing his patients in Canada, has told a pre-trial hearing he cannot remember any assaults.
According to his wife Erica, who testified in court in Calgary this week during a hearing to determine her husband's competence to stand trial, his mental health had deteriorated drastically since his arrest in 2010, Beeld reported on Friday.
Levin said he remembered only sketchy details of patient's names, and claimed to not understand any of the charges brought against him.
During his time as the head of the psychiatric division at 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria, Levin headed a controversial programme to “cure” homosexuals by electrocuting them.
He moved to Canada in 1994, and now faces charges of sexually abusing at least 10 former patients, most of whom were convicted prisoners who received counselling from Levin on behalf of the state.
According to the Calgary Herald, Canadian academic Dr Lilian Thorpe testified Levin was suffering from cognitive dementia and possibly also Alzheimer's disease.
Erica Levin told the court her husband had deteriorated to the point where she had to help him put his pants on in the morning.
At the close of proceedings on Thursday, Levin put on his own jacket and coat. - Sapa