A former registered acupuncturist who sexually assaulted two of his patients is not eligible to apply to reinstate his registration for 30 years.
In a disciplinary notice posted to its site, the College of Complementary Health Professionals of B.C. (CCHPBC) says Mario Luis Ibarra will not be able to apply to reinstate his registration until July 1, 2055.
It comes over four months after Ibarra pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault.
In February, Ibarra, who practised in Surrey, B.C., was handed a jail sentence of two years less a day to be served in the community, and three years of probation after pleading guilty to two counts of sexual assault.
He was also given a five-year ban from performing any complementary health service where he would be touching people. He will also be on a sex offender registry for 20 years.
Ibarra was regulated by the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists of British Columbia, which merged into the CCHPBC in June 2024. The regulator now also oversees professions like chiropractors and registered massage therapists.
According to the notice, Ibarra’s registration had already been terminated after he did not renew it on March 31, 2024.
Should he apply for registration after the 30-year period, his eligibility would depend on successfully completing “courses on ethics and respecting boundaries” as required by the college’s registrar or registration committee.
He will also have to “meet all legislative and bylaw requirements relating to registration, including those relating to good character, risks to public safety, and the public interest.”
The notice also says Ibarra is required to pay $3,000 to the CCHPBC for its investigation.
‘Disgusting and inexcusable’
One of Ibarra’s victims has said his actions have left her “struggling” to rebuild her life, and called his actions “disgusting and inexcusable.”
Both victims have also previously been critical of the regulator of B.C. acupuncturists for not warning the public about Ibarra, who continued to practise years after the assaults.
The college began investigating Ibarra in 2022, but in a June 2023 email obtained by CBC News, the college said it decided to suspend its investigation until the criminal law proceeding was over.
After Ibarra was sentenced in February, the college said its investigation would be “remitted to CCHPBC’s Inquiry Committee for consideration.”
In its notice, the committee describes Ibarra’s “admitted conduct” to be “extremely serious.”
It adds that the committee is satisfied that the order “appropriately reflects the seriousness of the admitted conduct and will protect patient safety as Mr. Ibarra is no longer authorized to [practise] as an acupuncturist in B.C.”
