An orthopaedic surgeon who photographed a comatose patient with a swastika tattoo on his penis then shared the image with other doctors has been fined $10,000.

The patient was in ICU, intubated and ventilated after a homemade pipe bomb had exploded in his grasp in April 2019, said the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The surgeon, one of multiple treating doctors, said he was shocked to see the swastika given his lifelong experiences with racism.

“The [doctor] has, throughout his life in Australia, been subjected to racism in various forms,” said the October 2024 tribunal decision, published this week.