WARNING: This article contains details of sexual assault which may be disturbing to some readers. If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual violence, contact Archway Society for Domestic Peace at 250-542-1122. All programs are easily accessible, free of charge and confidential.
A former Vernon doctor who was sent to jail in 2024 over multiple instances of sexual assault has been granted full parole.
Peter Inkpen, 45, was charged with three counts of sexual assault, which occurred between 2011 and 2018.
Inkpen pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced in July 2024. After factoring in time spent in custody, he had a sentence of three years and nearly three months to serve behind bars.
The Parole Board of Canada granted Inkpen full parole in a Dec. 19 decision.
Inkpen sexually touched an employee of his Vernon medical clinic while practicing nerve scans on her between 2011 and 2013. In April 2017, he sexually touched a different employee while practicing ultrasound scans on her and asked her if she ever fantasized about “hooking up with her boss,” the Parole Board documents state.
On several occasions in 2018, Inkpen engaged in sexual activity and intercourse with a woman who he held a position of trust over as her doctor. Some of the incidents occurred at his medical clinic while the patient was seeing him for medical treatment, while others occurred at her home.
“After the victim contracted a bacterial infection from one of her encounters with you, you falsified her medical records to be able to prescribe her medication and conceal your involvement in her ailment. You also had her illegally supply you with psilocybin mushrooms,” the decision states.
Inkpen also faced additional sexual assault charges that were either stayed or acquitted, and he was the subject of numerous sexual assault allegations going back 10 years that never resulted in charges or convictions, the Parole Board said.
The judge who sentenced Inkpen noted aggravating factors to include his abuse of trust and authority positions over the victims, the victims’ vulnerability and the significant impact on them, and the planned and deliberate nature of the offences.
Mitigating factors included Inkpen’s guilty plea, his assessed low risk to re-offend, and the steps he took to address his mental health and understand his criminal behaviour before his sentencing.
The board noted Inkpen was bullied by other offenders while in custody and he was placed into what it called “voluntary supportive integration placement,” which is typically an alternative to segregation. There were no noted concerns about his behaviour, but it was noted that he presented as entitled and made aggressive comments about his parole officer to staff at his correctional facility, while attempting to bypass facility policy.
Inkpen was released on day parole in August 2025 to his family home.
In granting day parole, the board “did not lose sight of the nature and gravity of your offending that involved multiple victims over a prolonged period of time and the impact that your offending had on the victims,” the decision states.
The board concluded that Inkpen had a viable release plan and granted day parole for six months, adding he abided by the conditions of his release and was granted passes to travel outside his release area with no concerns noted.
“The victim impact statements on file are a compelling reminder of the profound harm you caused by your breach of trust and the lasting effects on the victims’ daily lives,” the board added.
With full parole, Inkpen will continue to reside at his family home.
Conditions on his parole include a ban on consuming, purchasing or possesing alcohol or drugs, and having no contact with the victims. He must also avoid going to a location that is redacted in the report, report all sexual and non-sexual relationships with women, and refrain from working in a capacity that puts him in a position of trust or authority towards others.