A McHenry County grand jury is investigating a complaint from a woman who alleged that her Crystal Lake psychiatrist forced her to engage in sexual acts, according to the McHenry County state’s attorney’s office.
Details of the alleged incident surfaced in a civil suit filed by Jill Marie Okrzesik, of McHenry, against Dr. Ramesh B. Vemuri on March 12 in McHenry County Circuit Court.
According to the suit, Okrzesik began counseling with Vemuri in 1995 for depression. On July 17, 1997, Vemuri allegedly exposed himself to the woman and forced her to perform several sex acts, which is a violation of the patient-physician relationship, according to state law.
Michael Gunzburg, the woman’s attorney, said he plans to amend the civil complaint to include psychiatric malpractice. He said the alleged incident happened in Vemuri’s car outside his home in Crystal Lake. The woman called Vemuri in distress to set up an appointment and Vemuri allegedly insisted that he see the woman immediately. He picked her up in his car and took her to his home, Gunzburg said.
“She is devastated,” Gunzburg said. “He treated her for 2 1/2 years without any incident and she trusted him completely.”
Vemuri is the former medical director at Horizons Behavioral Health, owned by Centegra Health Systems. Vemuri resigned last year, said a Centegra spokesman.
The suit seeks $50,000 in compensatory damages and no less than $50,000 in punitive damages.