The doctor Cristian Andrei, accused by seven other women of sexual abuse, spread over a period of 20 years

The doctor Cristian Andrei, one of the most publicized psychotherapists in Romania, is accused of sexual abuse by seven other women, their accounts stretching over a period of more than 20 years, writes PressOne. At the beginning of the week, the publication revealed that he does not hold a certificate of free practice issued by the College of Psychologists and that several patients accuse the doctor of sexual advances and emotional manipulation.

Women's testimonies describe the same pattern: touching during therapy sessions, initiation of sexual acts and emotional manipulation.

The women who contacted PressOne's editorial office described sexual abuse that happened as early as 1998 in Cristian Andrei's therapy office, five years after he became a psychiatrist.

Cristian Andrei is a psychiatrist, specializing in child neuropsychiatry since 1993. Since then, he has offered psychotherapy sessions for a fee. Since 2004, however, with the establishment of the College of Psychologists in Romania, psychotherapy has become a distinct profession, regulated separately, which can only be practiced with a certificate of free practice, obtained after completing a training school in psychotherapy and two years of supervised practice. Doctor Cristian Andrei did not complete his studies after 2004 and does not meet the criteria of a licensed psychotherapist. The College of Psychologists in Romania officially confirmed for the cited publication that the doctor does not hold a certificate of free practice in psychotherapy.

On Wednesday, PressOne published some excerpts from the testimonies of patients who say they were abused by Cristian Andrei:

• “For many years, I thought I 'loved him'. But in all those years, a part of me knew that the moment when, after about 8 'therapy sessions', he touched me like a man touches a woman was wrong, a betrayal and a deep hurt.”
• “And I passed through his “office”. He also took me in his arms and kissed me forcefully.”
• “I count myself among the “victims” of that person, but I declare myself a light victim, because when he started kissing and caressing me, I pulled away and never set foot in his lordship's office.”
• “He made me get up off the couch, came over and pushed me down and if I had sat down I would have been in the best position for oral sex. I didn't sit down. He almost broke my legs but I didn't sit down.”
• “He puts his hands on you, takes you in his arms, sits next to you, until you don't understand what's happening. (…) He behaved as if he had special affection for me and told me that if he wasn't married, he would marry me.”
• “During the sexual abuse I found out his wife was pregnant with their third child, which was shocking.”
• “From the first meeting, he tried to seduce me, offering me money to pay off a debt to my former business partner. I refused, and at the next meeting he insisted on offering me the money, on the condition that we meet again for coffee. He always approached me, sat down next to me and tried to hug and kiss me, telling me that only through affection can I overcome difficult times.”

Cristian Andrei's specifications

Faced with the first accusations of sexual harassment, before PressOne published the investigation on Monday that revealed that the doctor was practicing without a certificate, Cristian Andrei claimed that he would never have harmed any person who entered his office and that the accusations are false: “How can I have sexual relations? During the psychotherapy session you are doing psychotherapy.”

“If you bring a single person to tell me to my face that I have harmed them, I will give up my practice of any kind,” said Cristian Andrei.

Later, during a live on a social network, Cristian Andrei claimed that “working with people qualified me”. Regarding the accusations of harassment and sexual assault, he stated that it would be about “the hostility of the woman towards the man to whom she no longer has access.”

Also, the doctor admitted that he does not have a certificate of free practice in psychotherapy and states that he does not even intend to ask for one.

The police reported themselves

Later on Monday, in a statement in which it does not directly name Dr. Cristian Andrei, the Capital Police reported that “it filed a complaint ex officio”, after the disclosure in the press.

“Considering the information that appeared in the public space regarding a man who would have carried out activities in the field of psychotherapy, without holding the necessary legal certificates and who would have committed acts of a sexual nature on some patients, the General Directorate of Police of the Municipality of Bucharest makes the following clarifications: The policemen from the Criminal Investigation Service – Sector 1 have notified themselves ex officio to establish the factual situation and order the necessary legal measures”, stated the Romanian Police.

The police added that the investigations are ongoing, in order to administer the necessary evidence, according to the legal provisions, under the coordination of the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Court of District 1.

“We appeal to citizens who have been victims of similar acts or who have information that can support the investigation to contact the nearest police unit or report it urgently by calling 112,” the statement sent by the institution reads.

According to some judicial sources, cited by Agerpres, the targeted person is Cristian Andrei.