Brit hypnotherapist sexually assaulted patients leaving them 'in constant fear'

11 December 2023 , 12:11

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Melbourne Magistrates court where Paul Stephen-Daly was sentenced (Image: Getty Images)

A British hypnotherapist sexually assaulted his female patients under the guise of treatment, leaving them traumatised and "in constant fear".

Paul Stephen-Daly, 82, returned to Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in Australia today where he was sentenced to a two-year Community Corrections Order after pleading guilty to indecently assaulting one woman and sexually touching another six years later, all while they were his clients. The British grandfather operated as a hypnotherapist for many years in Melbourne’s east before he "handed in his ticket" following the police investigation.

In court documents obtained by the Herald Sun, Stephen-Daly was exposed for previously assaulting a woman in 2015 and sexually touching another woman in her 20s in 2021. The court heard one unnamed victim had reached out to Stephen-Daly to help treat OCD, initially believing she had "found a solution." The victim said she lived "in constant fear of being watched" and that she had been left believing he was watching and "waiting to take control" in her vulnerable moments. The court heard: "I now suffer from PTSD and have to take medication to sleep as I have nightmares. I’m in constant fear that those closest to me might unexpectedly turn against me."

The second unnamed victim told the court she approached Stephen-Daly to help treat her anxiety, having been previously deterred by traditional therapy treatments. She said: "I gaslit myself for months. I thought I was safe with a grandfather in his 80s with so many daughters of his own." The court heard Stephen-Daly had "manoeuvred" the victim’s body into "uncomfortable and sexual positions." Her statement said he referred to her body as a "floppy ragdoll."

The victim said she too now suffered from PTSD symptoms, often lying awake at night for hours where she said her mind was "absolutely consumed with thoughts of what he did." Stephen-Daly gave his clients massages that went "beyond what was clinical", including lifting clothing, placing hands under clothing and touching intimate areas, all without the consent of his victims.

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One of the victims told the court she would never seek out a male practitioner or caregiver again.

Rachel Hagan