By Danielle 
A Halifax judge is expected to rule Nov. 20 on whether retired pediatric dentist Dr. Errol Gaum, 82, is guilty of assaulting four former patients when they were children. The earliest allegation dates back to 1970.
Gaum appeared in Halifax provincial court Monday for closing arguments in a trial that began in May. He originally faced five counts of assault, but one charge was dropped due to technicalities.
Defence vs prosecutor
Defence lawyer Nick Fitch argued the charges should be dismissed, questioning whether the alleged incidents occurred, whether Gaum was responsible, and if so, whether his actions were intended to protect the child from harm, the CBC reported. Fitch said pediatric dentists often treat combative children and the procedures were “not pretty.”
Crown prosecutor Stephen Anstey countered that the testimony of the six witnesses—four complainants and two providing similar fact evidence—was consistent and mutually corroborative. Five of the six said Gaum slapped them across the face and told them to “shut up” during treatment.
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‘Striking similarities’
Anstey urged the court to consider the evidence collectively rather than on a count-by-count basis, citing the “striking similarities” in the witnesses’ accounts, which span the 1970s and 1980s, the Chronicle Herald reported.
The case began after Gaum’s dentistry licence was suspended in November 2020, following more than 100 complaints to Halifax Regional Police alleging misconduct over nearly five decades. In March 2022, police laid 10 charges involving seven complainants.
The allegations gained public attention after former patients created a Facebook group titled The victims of Dr. ERROL GAUM (public), which had 2,800 members as of July 23.
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