A social media influencer with over 600,000 followers has been fined after appearing in court for presenting herself online as a registered osteopath, despite having lost her official licence to practise.
The Court Case and Charges
Lilly Iaschelcic, 30, found herself at City of London Magistrates' Court after 'concerns' were raised about her website for Osteopathic Health. The site described her as a qualified osteopath and featured a picture appearing to show her performing an osteopathic treatment.
Prosecutor Elaine Freer told the court that Iaschelcic’s registration with the General Osteopathic Council had ended in January 2022. Concerns submitted to the regulator in 2024 prompted a warning email, after which changes were made to the website.
Iaschelcic admitted to the single charge of calling herself an osteopath while not registered, relating to the website content. A second charge concerning an Instagram post was withdrawn by the prosecution.
A Forgotten Website and a Disputed Booking System
The court heard that Iaschelcic, a graduate with a masters in osteopathic medicine from the British College of Osteopathic Medicine, set up Osteopathic Health six months after finishing her studies in 2021.
She later left the UK to study medicine in Georgia and claimed she 'completely forgot' about the website. While the site offered the possibility to book appointments, Iaschelcic disputed this, stating the booking link had never been functional.
In her defence, she stated, "I am very proud to be an osteopath, so I cannot be told that I’m not an osteopath," adding that she had studied hard and would have continued in the profession had her medical studies not proceeded.
The Magistrate's Ruling and Penalty
Magistrate Colin Gregory acknowledged that Iaschelcic had a genuine connection to osteopathy and had previously been registered. He noted the panel considered her passion for medicine and her admission that the situation was an oversight.
However, he emphasised the seriousness of the offence, stating, "The offence of describing yourself as an osteopath when you're not is there to protect the public so it’s very important that people who do wrongly claim themselves with professional qualifications do get punished."
On Wednesday, November 26, Iaschelcic was ordered to pay a total financial penalty. She was fined £623 and must also pay a £249 victim surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs.
