Beginning in early 2009, several sources in the Brazilian press reported allegations that the doctor had sexually abused patients, while Abdelmassih denied the charges. There were more than 60 complaints from former patients in three different states. Abdelmassih denied the charges, saying he was being pursued by dissatisfied clients and competitors trying to frame him. On 17 August 2009, Bruno Paes Stranforini, Judge of the 16th Criminal Court of São Paulo, ordered Abdelmassih's arrest. On 24 December, after four months in jail, Abdelmassih was released after
Gilmar Mendes, the president of the
Supreme Federal Court, granted him
habeas corpus, revoking his preventive custody. Roger Abdelmassih had his professional registration revoked on 20 May 2011, and was sentenced on 23 November 2010, to 278 years in prison by Judge Kenarik Boujikian Felippe of the 16th Criminal Court of São Paulo. He was charged with raping 56 patients in his clinic. Abdelmassih was initially denied the right to appeal his conviction before being imprisoned, but was eventually granted that right. However, after news that he would try to renew his passport, his arrest was requested once again, as it was believed that he intended to flee the country. Before he could be captured, he fled in early 2011, and appeared on the list of criminals wanted by
Interpol as well as the list of 25 most wanted criminals of the Civil Police of São Paulo. It was initially assumed that Abdelmassih had fled over the border into
Paraguay and then
Uruguay and used a false passport to go from there to Lebanon, with which Brazil has no extradition treaty. Abdelmassih had recently married a former prosecutor of the republic, Larissa Maria Sacco, 36 years his junior; they have twin sons. She resigned her office in 2011 and fled with her husband. ==Arrest==