R v. Tyhurst and Gorman v. Tyhurst

In 1989, four women came forward to the Vancouver RCMP and Vancouver Crown to report attacks on them by their psychiatrist, Dr. James Tyhurst. They described that over a period of twenty years, he conducted “treatment” on all of them that included signed contracts to participate in “master/slave” therapy. He required the women to undress and remain partially or completely naked throughout the therapy sessions. He escalated to sexual assaults, including rape, and physical assaults, including the use of sado-masochist paraphernalia, such as, whips and jewellery. These attacks occurred in his office, his home office, his home on Gabriola Island, and in the homes of the women